The True Dragon
by TheRadiantDawn
Summary: Taelerys Targaryen is the daughter of the Mad King, now a ward to Lord Eddard Stark since Robert's Rebellion. Despite having been treated as one of their own family by the Starks, Taelerys still faces the scorn of the world. Now, with a dynamic war for control of Westeros and the return of the Others, only a True Dragon can unite the Seven Kingdoms to stop the Long Night. REVISED.
1. Fall of the Targaryens

**Seventeen years earlier...**

Taelerys didn't know what woke her from her sleep first. Was it the screams of the women and children? Or the bells ringing from Baelor's Sept? Now, she could hear the clash of iron blades outside the walls that was so used to crawling through or hiding.

It couldn't have been the screaming. The young five-year old princess was used to that. Her father, King Aerys, loved to use wildfire on many civilians. Even Taelerys had begun to question her father and his methods. Father scared Taelerys, his appearance was old and frightening. She could see his skull from his sunken in skin. And her father hardly ate and refused to trim his hair or nails. Now, Father had done a bad thing, Taelerys knew it. Yet, she was going to be punished.

Taelerys held Balerion close to her chest while continuing to hide within the walls. The black cat squirmed in her arms before clawing Taelerys. Father couldn't have been after her. That thought began to frighten her. Mother wouldn't allow Father to do such a thing. The safest was with her mother, Queen Rhaella. Only she knew about the hole in the brick walls of the castle, which allowed someone to enter the interior of the wall. It was a very small space, but being small and nimble like Taelerys meant that she could easily move through it. That was how Taelerys snuck around without any of the guards catching her. It was her best hiding place when Father decided to punish her. Just like he did now.

Balerion scurried away into the darkness of the interior walls. _A cowardly cat, _Taelerys thought to herself. She and Rhaenys named that black cat after Balerion, the Black Dread. Oh, dread the stupid black cat!

Taelerys unwrapped the bandages to better examine the wounds. It was hard to see with the dying candle she had. All of her secret items that she had stolen or kept were scattered throughout the inside of these walls. The burns didn't hurt as much as it did a few days ago. It looked like the skin was pink, but still very raw. Taelerys wondered if it would scar. Her whole entire body should've been burnt to a crisp. Yet nothing.

The young princess didn't understand it. King Aerys poured wildfire all over her right arm. How could her arm didn't melt off? Or her entire body? Why was she not completely consumed by the sick green flames? Taelerys remembered the shock on her father's face when the flames suddenly died out. King Aerys had a mixture look of horror and delight on his face. King Aerys suddenly fell to his hands and knees before Taelerys and whispered, _"The true dragon." _Before gazing upon his daughter once more in awe. King Aerys reached a wrinkled hand with his eight-inch fingernails towards her. That was when Taelerys screamed and ran away from him.

Taelerys knew that she was no dragon. For she would've breathed fire upon all of those who had hurt her. The Kingsguard and servants were running through out the hall, panicking as the city had now been flooded with rebels, from what Taelerys overheard. Taelerys knew that most of the kingdom hated Aerys, not even her mother could love him. She was starting to see why.

Taelerys felt her heart sink into her stomach at the thought of her mother. All she wanted right now was her family, excluding her father. Taelerys wanted Rhaegar, Viserys, Elia, Rhaenys, Aegon, and her unborn baby sister to be with her right now. _Father can drink wildfire for all I care,_ Taelerys thought bitterly to herself. Right now, Taelerys had to find her family before anything bad happened to them. She picked up the Valyrian steel dagger that she stole from the armory before crawling through the inner walling. She could exit into the nursery where Taelerys slept with her twin and betrothed, Viserys, and her niece and nephew, Rhaenys and Aegon. A bunch of dirt and dust fell onto her. It was hard to crawl with only one good arm.

"What about Taly?" the voice of Rhaenys cried out, it was slightly muffled by the wall. "And what about Balerion? Mama, we can't leave them!"

Taelerys looked through the small hole she had carved. She could see her tan-skinned niece tugging on the sleeve of her mother. Rhaenys's raven curls were bouncing across her shoulders. She looked everything like a Martell should. Dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes. There was little indication that Rhaenys was a Targaryen, leading Aerys to spread rumors of Elia being infidel. Rhaegar demanded his father put a stop to it, to which the reluctant Aerys did. _Rhaegar, you need to be here,_ Taelerys thought to herself, _Everything is going to shit._ If she had said that aloud in the presence of her mother, Taelerys knew she'd get the paddle for sure.

Taelerys watched as her sister-in-law Elia held onto my nephew and second in line to the throne, Prince Aegon. I could hear Aegon whimpering in his mother's arms. How Taelerys adored holding Aegon and playing with him, babes were fun and cute. So was Rhaenys, who was only three. Taelerys watched over her like the big sister she never had, and enjoyed playing dress up with the princess.

"Princess Taelerys is nowhere to be found Rhaenys. We must stay quiet and hide." Elia sternly told her.

"But, Taly isn't gone! She's hiding in the walls!" Rhaenys tried to convince her mother.

Elia would have none of that now. "Enough, Rhae."

Aegon let out a loud cry. The Dornish princess stood up and began soothing her baby, bouncing him up in her arms. Taelerys opened her mouth to say something and prove Elia wrong, when there was suddenly a loud cry from outside the door. Then, there was shouting and blades clashing. I heard a few more cries, some of them sounding like someone choking on blood, before the wooden door was broken open.

There stood Ser Gregor Clegane. People called him 'The Mountain' and Taelerys could see why. Ser Gregor was the largest man she had ever seen, Taelerys was sure he was part giant. A shiver ran down her spine just being in his presence. He had a mean look on his face and held a bloodied large sword in only one hand. Rhaenys knew he was scary too, that was why she hid under the bed. Elia clutched onto the bundle that was my nephew Aegon. The Dornishwoman stood tall and confident. Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. Even facing death itself, Elia would not falter.

"The king is dead," said Amory Lorch, a bannerman of House Lannister. I hated that man. He reminded Taelerys so much of a pig, especially with his fat pimply face. The princess had no idea why the Lannisters were here. Father often complained about their lack of support in this apparent war that had started months ago. Something about Rhaegar and Lady Lyanna Stark. Now, they had arrived in the Red Keep. Had they come to help her family? The sick feeling in her stomach told Taelerys otherwise.

Elia was trying to absorb that information without coming across as scared. It wasn't convincing however. "What? How?" Elia breathed. "Who killed His Grace?"

"Jaime Lannister," Answered the booming voice of Ser Gregor Clegane. He was only seventeen years old, yet looked looked to be in his mid-twenties with his size. I looked away from the peephole into the darkness of the inner walls. _Father is dead?_ She thought to herself with horror. '_By his own Kingsguard? The handsome Ser Jaime Lannister?' _Taelerys remembered his beautiful blond locks, green eyes, and dashing smile. She couldn't believe Ser Jaime would murder his own king. Her father was now dead. Although when I heard those words, surprisingly I felt nothing. Taelerys hated her father more than anything.

Before Taelerys could think anymore about it, Ser Amory yanked the screaming Rhaenys from under the bed and began stabbing her repeatedly in the stomach with a dagger. Elia let out a loud high pitched scream, trying to rush towards her daughter to help her. Taelerys screamed at the exact same time as Elia, which was maybe why they didn't hear her. The Mountain grabbed Elia by her long dark locks before dragging her away. The only thing holding me back from attacking Amory or the Mountain was this very wall I was hiding in. The one wall that would always protect Taelerys was now stopping her from trying to save her family. Immediately, Taelerys covered her mouth as hot tears poured down her cheeks. If Taelerys said another word, the Mountain would just rip through the entire wall and pull her out. Even if Taelerys could help, there was nothing she could do to save them. All the frightful princess could do was watch quietly.

Rhaenys was still screaming on the top of her lungs in agony until they suddenly were cut off. Her blood spilled across the floor in a small puddle beside her. Even after it was clear that Rhaenys was dead, Ser Amory Lorch still kept stabbing her. Blood splattered across the now lifeless face of Rhaenys. Taelerys could hear the sickening sound of her flesh being stabbed over and over again. Taelerys felt the bile at her mouth, but forced herself to swallow the vomit. Taelerys gagged a few times in pain from this. Rhaenys was stabbed, Rhaenys was stabbed, Taelerys thought over and over. The very memory was too much for her and Taelerys bent over and vomited on the floor. She tried to do it as quietly as possible. When Taelerys was finished, she suddenly involuntarily felt herself vomiting again. Even when there was nothing left to throw up. Taelerys managed to calm herself and stand up to look again.

Ser Gregor ripped Aegon away from the wailing Elia, holding her back with a muscled arm. He held Aegon by the neck like a little piglet, dangling high in the air. Aegon was shrieking with pain. Ser Gregor drew back his arm and crushed Aegon's head against the stone wall. The very stone wall that I was hiding behind. A splatter of blood hit Taelerys against the face through the crack. Taelerys immediately hid from the peephole in horror. She slowly wiped the small blood splatter of her nephew from her cheek.

Aegon's cries were silenced while Elia's increased.

Taelerys heard Ser Gregor dropped the bloody mess that was her nephew and moved away from the wall. She heard Elia get thrown across the floor before hearing the sound of clothing being ripped apart. Elia was pleading for Ser Gregor to stop. Taelerys didn't look up to the peephole to know what was happening. She closed her eyes and covered her ears. Her sister Elia was getting raped by Ser Gregor. Taelerys knew that Father did that to Mother quite frequently, which was how she got pregnant again. Born from a rape. But, twin brother Viserys called it "ravishing" and that it was what all married couples did. Taelerys told her twin that she would cut his cock off if he dare abuse her like that. Viserys merely laughed. Now, the Mountain was ravishing Elia and there was nothing Taelerys could do about it. Not even her ears could stop the cries of Elia as she was being raped. By the time Taelerys had crawled out of the wall, she was sniffling and sobbing silently to herself. Never had she felt so useless and pathetic until now.

Someone would pay for what they did to her family.

* * *

Lord Eddard Stark rushed through the hallways, slashing down every soldier that came at him with Ice. There was only one thing on his mind.

_'Aerys,' _Ned thought._ 'Aerys...Aerys...Aerys.'_

That was the only word that Ned kept repeating in his head. All it was going to take was one sword to finish off the Mad King. Robert killed Rhaegar at the Battle of the Trident and his sister's wgereabouts still unknown. It was time for vengeance and justice. Ned was doing this for his father, brother, sister, and the thousands of soldiers and innocent civilians that had lost their lives in this one year war. These man were his friends and now most of them were dead too. Ned reached the end of the hallway, only to be greeted by another Kingsguard. Ned easily batted away the knight's attack before lunging Ice through the guard's plate chest, which exited through his back. Ice, being Valyrian steel, easily sliced through most armor. The man cried out once before choking on his own blood. Ned pulled out the large two handled sword before continuing on.

The throne room was just up ahead. Eddard Stark, now the new Lord of Winterfell, was going to end this war. Though, he supposed that the war had ended when Robert slayed Rhaegar at the Trident. Ned then made his way to King's Landing, with an army of twenty thousand men, surprised to see that Tywin had arrived with his men too. _'A little late to join, Lord Tywin,' _Ned thought bitterly to himself. But, nothing could stop Ned from getting his revenge now. Justice and revenge were the same thing in his eyes. The Targaryen forces in King's Landing quickly crumbled under Ned's rage and leadership throughout the battle. The city was overwhelmed by the rebel forces.

Bursting through the large wooden doors, Ned expected to find King Aerys sitting on the Iron Throne. To his horror, he found two bodies of the Kingsguard lying on the ground. The one body he immediately recognized lying face first on the steps was the Mad King, Aerys Targaryen. His gaunt face covered by his long silver hair, with his body laying in a pool of his own blood. It was a bright crimson color. There was a slight chuckle. Ned looked up to see Ser Jaime Lannister sitting so arrogantly on the Iron Throne, a leg perched over the side. There was blood dripped fresh from Ser Jaime's sword. That was when Ned knew Ser Jaime did it. Jaime had broken his vows and slain the king he swore to protect. Ned let out a roar of outrage as he repeatedly swung his sword at the lifeless body of Aerys Targaryen with Ice. The sick sound of flesh being stabbed and cut filled the air, as did the Mad King's blood. Ned wiped his face, which was now covered with blood.

"Welcome _Lord_ Eddard Stark, the new Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North," Ser Jaime smiled. "There's no need to keep swinging that sword like a neanderthal, King Aerys is very much dead, I assure you."

Ned shot him a disgusted glance, doing everything he could to contain his anger. "Get down from there," he growled. _"Now."_

Jaime shrugged once, before getting up and walking down the steps. "Just keeping it warm. You'd be surprised how comfortable it really is. Why don't you take a seat?"

"He was my kill, Jaime!" snapped Ned, gripping the handle to Ice to the very bone. "It was my duty and my right to kill Aerys Targaryen! And now some arrogant blonde son of a bitch, a Kingsguard no less, stabbed his own king with his back turned! You are the last person who should've done that! You are nothing more than a Kingslayer, you..."

Ned was cut off by all the yelling and sound of soldiers clad in armor approaching. That was when Ned spotted a young girl, around the age of five or so, bolting across the Throne Room barefoot. Behind her was Ser Gregor, thundering right behind the small girl. For a mountain, Ser Gregor sure was fast. Ned immediately recognized the girl as Princess Taelerys Targaryen, all from her silvery white hair.

The Mountain was going to run her down, Ned realized. Ser Gregor caught Taelerys by her wrist, his grip stronger than iron. Taelerys felt like her arm was going to snap into two. "Let go!" Taelerys shrieked. "Please!"

Ser Gregor ignored the child, raising the massive sword above her head. "Clegane, _stop!"_ Ned then shouted. "Stop this right now!"

Ser Gregor merely looked at Lord Stark, before he brought down the massive blade. He would not let Ser Gregor harm the girl. Right after he had said that, Ned immediately jumped off the steps with Ice in his two hands, trying to slam down the sword into Gregor's side with all of his weight and momentum. This forced Gregor to defend himself from Ned's blow instead of killing Princess Taelerys. There was a loud clang of steel, which made Taelerys open her eyes. She had the shock of her life when Lord Eddard Stark was toe-to-toe with Ser Gregor Clegane. Taelerys thought for sure that Lord Stark would want her dead for what Rhaegar and Aerys did to his family.

That was when Taelerys knew that this was the brother of Lyanna. He had the same determination to protect the innocent just like his sister. When Ser Gregor released her wrist, Taelerys quickly ran behind a large column as Ned stood before The Mountain. Ser Jaime merely sat on the steps in front of the Iron Throne, watching the scene unfold with amusement. The Lannister soldiers all stepped back from the seething Ser Gregor, who got back on his feet.

_"Enough,_ Clegane!" Ned shouted.

Ser Gregor ignored what he said and charged at Ned like a bull does when it sees the color red. Ser Gregor had been denied his kill, just like Ned had a few moments ago. Only Ned was now able to contain his anger, having taken it out on Aerys's lifeless body. The Mountain roared like he would when a mountain shakes as he began swinging his large sword at Stark from every angel. Taelerys thought for sure that Lord Stark was a goner, Ser Gregor was just too large and powerful. To her surprise, Lord Stark was able to stand his ground against The Mountain. There was no doubt that Gregor was the strongest, he could easily slice a man in half with one swing of his sword. But, Taelerys noticed that Lord Stark was quicker and more agile than the Mountain. He was also more calculating and cautious whenever attacking the Mountain. Ned took advantage of this by slicing and stabbing Ser Gregor whenever he missed a sluggish movement. Ned had struck Ser Gregor in the shoulder with Ice, right underneath the armor. Blood splattered to the floor. For awhile, it didn't seem like any of the wounds were affecting Ser Gregor. After another swing, drawing blood once more, that was when Ser Gregor began to notice it. His strength was fading. "You will not harm this child, Clegane!" Lord Stark hollered with conviction.

Ser Gregor screamed like a wild animal in a mad rage, charging once more. His attacks were even more slow and predictable. Lord Stark spun around, dodging the large blade slam through the tile beside him, right before smacking Ser Gregor in the face with the handle of his sword. The blow stunned the Mountain, who fell on his behind like a child beaten at a game. It really did feel like a mountain had fallen for the entire floor had shaken.

The blood covered Ice was pointed at Ser Gregor's neck. The large man gritted his teeth as he reluctantly held his hands up in surrender. Blood was trickling from his broken nose. Ser Gregor didn't say anything for a moment. That was when Taelerys emerged from behind the column. "Kill him!" Taelerys yelled at Lord Stark.

Every eye was on her with shock at what she said. "Kill him!" Taelerys said again. "He killed sister Elia and her children!". At this point, Taelerys was breaking down in tears and sobbing. Lord Stark immediately turned to Ser Gregor with an angered expression on his face. "Is this true, Ser Gregor?" Lord Stark asked.

At first, Ser Gregor said nothing. His face turning red at the accusation. Lord Stark took his silence and anger as a sign of confession. He jabbed Ser Gregor in the neck with his sword, creating a small cut near the jugular. "I ought to kill you, but I'm better than that. I will make sure you pay for the crimes you committed today, Ser Gregor." Lord Stark growled.

That was when Ser Gregor smirked. "As if anyone can beat me in a trial-by-combat."

Lord Stark slashed Ser Gregor across the cheek, a drip of blood rolling down from the long cut. "Anyone but me, remember?" hissed Lord Stark. "I would love nothing more than to be able to kill you."

"Just kill him!" Princess Taelerys cried out. She was frustrated with how long this was taking. One of the Lannister soldiers carefully approached Lord Stark. "What shall we do with the girl, my lord?" the nervous soldier asked.

"We're not killing here if that's what you mean," Lord Stark stated, sliding the bloodied Ice into its sheath. That was when Princess Taelerys made her approach. She looked so docile and innocent, padding her way towards them. Princess Taelerys had her arms behind her back. _'This poor child,' _Ned thought to himself. She was only five and been through hell already. The Targaryen Princess stood beside him, gazing up at her savior.

Princess Taelerys immediately sprung out the Valyrian dagger she had hidden under her garment, stabbing Ser Gregor three times around the neck. He let out a loud roar before Lord Stark grabbed Princess Taelerys by wrist. He took the knife and shoved the princess away onto the tile. Lord Stark kicked Ser Gregor against the chest plate when he tried to rise and retaliate. Lord Stark knelt before Ser Gregor, checking his neck wound, before ordering the Lannister guards to find the Maester. Ser Gregor was bleeding bad, but it didn't appear that Princess Taelerys struck a vein or artery. Why was the villain always the lucky one? Ned couldn't understand.

Princess Taelerys slowly picked herself off the ground. Her messy silvery hair in her face._ 'Such hatred in those pretty violet eyes,'_ Lord Stark noted. '_Already, this child is numb and would've killed Clegane had I not intervened.'_

Lord Stark placed the bloody Valyrian steel blade inside his belt for safekeeping. "Princess Taelerys, I understand your predicament, but you cannot take matters into your own hands." Lord Stark explained to the child. Her reddened eyes then widened with outrage. "I am the Princess of the Seven Kingdoms, know your place, Lord Stark!" Princess Taelerys snarled at the lord. "I want Ser Gregor dead,_ now!"_

This little girl was hellbent on revenge. All at the age of five. Now, Ned felt regret for wanting to murder King Aerys so badly. Yes, the King had murdered most of his family as well as many others. But, he couldn't stoop to that level. Maybe it was a good thing that someone else had done the Mad King in, even if it was Ser Jaime. It saved Ned from turning into the monster that Ser Jaime and Ser Gregor were. And Ned felt it was also his duty to do right by this child, to save her from becoming a killer.

Ser Jaime started laughing and clapping at the same time. He gave Princess Taelerys a gentle smile. "She's five years old and already has the same madness her father had." he sighed. Upon looking at Ser Jaime, she noticed a puddle of blood across the white titles. Her father laying motionless in his own blood. Princess Taelerys let out a loud gasp, sinking to her knees. "You...you killed him," she stammered. "No..."

Ser Jaime shrugged. "I did it for the realm."

Ned stepped beside the young princess. "I doubt that, you Lannisters are always so devious. You did this for your father."

"Lord Eddard, if you would let me explain–" Ser Jaime began, standing up and losing the smug look.

Lord Stark silenced him with a glare. "Don't. I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth, _Kingslayer."_

Lord Stark got down on one knee, establishing eye contact with the distraught princess. "Princess Taelerys, my name is Lord Eddard Stark, and I swear on the graves of my fallen family members that I won't allow any harm to come to you." Lord Stark promised. "But, you can call me Ned if you like. That's what my friends call me."

Taelerys was slightly panting from the panic and horror of what she had seen just now. Her family. All gone, just like that. The young Targaryen princess felt alone in a sea of sharks, no safer on land where the lions would get her. She was just a baby dragon. Princess Taelerys placed a hand on Lord Eddard's cheek, which had stubble. There were stress lines on Lord Stark's forehead and bags under his grey eyes. The princess didn't want to trust this man, it seemed too good to be true. But then, Taelerys remembered that Ned had lost most of his own family as well, to her own family no less, maybe what had happened was deserved. Yet, this lord was kind to her and even defended her with his own life.

The princess couldn't hold back her tears no longer. Taelerys's lips trembled. "Elia, Rhaenys...Aegon...they're all dead!" Princess Taelerys cried out, running into his arms like he was her father. Ned was surprised by the gesture, but nonetheless held the traumatized princess as she cried into his shoulder. Ned placed calloused hand on her braided white hair. "It's okay, princess. I promise we're going to make it through this." Ned tried to assure the child.

_'Somehow,'_ Ned thought.

* * *

They all waited in the Throne Room while the battle continued outside. Princess Taelerys wanted nothing more than to kill Ser Jaime, Ser Gregor, and Ser Amory. She continued to send hateful glares towards Ser Gregor, who was being treated by Maester Pycelle, another traitor who convinced her father to open the city gates. Yet, all she could do was just hide until the city fell. They waited quietly for an hour until the battle was over. The doors burst open again with a couple of lords and many more soldiers flooding the room. Princess Taelerys was relieved that the lords and soldiers didn't stare at her as much when they realized that Ser Jaime killed my father. Lord Eddard shielded Princess Taelerys from a couple of lords who questioned keeping her alive. That wasn't what mattered. A Kingsguard had broken his oath and slain the king. The nightmare was far from over yet.

A large, broad shouldered man with black hair and a beard strolled towards Lord Stark and Princess Taelerys. Beside him was a man clad in iron armor and balding blond hair. He had a rather cold look on his face. She recognized him as Tywin Lannister, the former Hand of the King, she quite enjoyed his presence actually. Tywin was impressed by how smart she was, even agreeing that her father King Aerys was quite mad. Princess Taelerys was sure her father was jealous of Tywin for how close they had become. Taelerys wondered if any of that mattered now. Behind him were a couple of soldiers holding Lannister blankets rolled up with something. Or someone. Princess Taelerys noticed they were soaked with blood. The bundles were dropped before the throne. Taelerys immediately realized that the bloody bundles held the disfigured bodies of Princess Elia, Princess Rhaenys, and Prince Aegon. Princess Taelerys let out a loud wail that filled the entire room, mad with grief at being presented with her family's bodies. Lord Ned Stark quickly turned the princess away from the sight, just as horrified as Taelerys was.

Both disgusted and outraged, Ned shouted,_ "By the Seven, what have you done, Robert? Have you lost your mind?"_

"I was about to ask the same thing, Ned!" hissed Robert, glaring heavily at the Targaryen princess. "Why is this silver-haired bitch still alive?"

"You cannot be serious, Robert! Because she is innocent! Her father is the one one who was guilty and now he is dead! _Why did you have to slaughter a woman and her babes?"_

"Not babes, _dragonspawn!_ They have no claim to the throne!" Lord Robert defended himself.

Ned then yelled, _"Then what's the point of killing them?"_

Princess Taelerys hiccuped through her tears. She didn't understand why Ned was so upset over this. The princess never seen someone show that much compassion to a stranger. Her eyes flickered over to the bodies wrapped in Lannister flags. The blood matched their color. She then looked up at Tywin Lannister. There was no emotion on his face as he stared Taelerys down. Robert and Ned continued to argue. They sounded like thunder and lightning the way they were screaming at each other.

Tywin then interrupted. "The girl must die," he stated in his strong and commanding voice. "End of discussion, Lord Stark."

"Quiet you!" hissed Ned, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "You, of all people have no right to talk, your son just murdered the king!"

"Someone had to do it," Ser Jaime shrugged. He had been standing in the corner for a long time since people were absorbing what the young Lannister knight had just done. Robert pulled out his bloody dagger strapped to his side. Princess Taelerys quickly hid behind Ned for protection, dreading for what was going to happen next.

Before anyone knew it, Ned had drawn his sword. Everyone in the throne room was suddenly tense and quiet. "If any of you come any closer, I slit you from balls to chin! You will not lay a hand on this child!" Ned shouted with such desperation and rage.

"Would you kill me, your own brother?" Robert asked.

Ned swallowed once. "You are no brother of mine if you decide to kill an innocent child."

Taelerys knew that Lord Robert Baratheon had already done that though. Yet, Ned refused to kill him. Robert was stunned by this while Tywin merely rolled his eyes. "That is quite enough, Lord Stark. We both know that this girl must die."

"I thought you were a smarter man than this, Tywin. Don't you know that this girl is valuable? Or are you really blinded by your hatred towards the Targaryens and Martells for that little slight they did against your daughter years ago?" Lord Eddard replied.

That must have hit a nerve within the Lannister lord, as Princess Taelerys saw his eye flinch. "Any slight against a Lannister is a slight against me, which I cannot allow." Tywin simply answered.

Lord Eddard began laughing. At first, I thought he had gone insane just like my father. I wouldn't have blamed him if he did. Ned had seen just as many terrible things as I did. "Lord Tywin Lannister scared of a little girl," chuckled Ned. "I never thought I'd live to see the day!"

"Not a little girl, _a dragon,"_ Tywin seethed through clenched teeth.

To their surprise, Ser Jaime began to speak once more. "Prince Rhaegar was the last dragon and now he is dead. All of the Targaryens are dead, except for Princess Taelerys," Ser Jaime reasoned. "That makes her the heiress to the throne, Father. Her father was not worthy of the throne, but perhaps she is."

Princess Taelerys couldn't believe what she was hearing. Ser Jaime murdered her father and now suggested making her the Queen? Even if she were a prince, Taelerys knew that they would never allow that. "That is out of the question," hissed Robert. "She and Viserys have the blood of Aerys, the potential for madness. Besides, I don't want to bow to another Targaryen cunt."

"I agree, we can't have another Targaryen on the throne, the risk of madness is too high. In any case, Taelerys should be stripped of her titles and made a political hostage. After all, Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys have escaped. We're going to need her as a hostage against them if they ever try to reclaim the Iron Throne. The same with the Martells, they won't be happy that you brutally murdered Elia and her children, but they might support Taelerys in the future. We have to make sure that doesn't happen."

There was a long silence as the words sunk into their minds. The anger from Robert's face resided, but he couldn't help but flash another glare at the Targaryen girl. _A princess no more,_ Taelerys told herself. She was no better than a peasant now. "Fine. The Targaryen girl is your ward and your hostage," Robert commanded, in his authoritative voice. "You will marry her to your firstborn son when she comes of age. Now come, we have more matters to discuss."

Ned's face darkened. "In deed we do, starting with the innocent Targaryens that Tywin slaughtered."

"Oh for _fuck's_ sake, Ned!" Robert shouted aloud, striding away from his friend. "No Targaryen is innocent!"

He needed to cool down after bludgeoning his way through King's Landing. Robert began shouting commands and demands to all of his men, including Lord Tywin, who was still watching Taelerys with intent eyes. Making sure the Targaryen didn't snap like her father. Taelerys shot the most malicious glare she could at the former Hand of the King. 'No, _you_ betrayed me,' her eyes said. Tywin then looked away to tend to his son Ser Jaime. Now, Princess Taelerys was just Taelerys Targaryen, a member of a now disgraced House. Grand Maester Pycelle placed a blanket over the bloodied body of Taelerys's father. Once the King of Westeros, now a dead mad man.

Taelerys could only wonder what fate had in store for her.


	2. The Starks

Following the fall of King's Landing, Lord Stark rode south to the Stormlands to lift the siege of Storm's End. Lord Stark placed Taelerys in the care of Ser Rodrik Cassel while he fought the battles. Ser Rodrik was a stout man, broad, with white hair and a beard tied into a braid. To pass the time, Ser Rodrik offered to teach her how to use a sword, a prospect that delighted Taelerys. Outside they would practice, with few commoners staring oddly at the white-haired girl during their stay at the tarven. Taelerys was changed into a long shirt and tattered pair of brown pants with flats. Her white hair in a messy braid. Ser Rodrik taught her how to hold a sword and learn its parts before actually learning how to fight. Taelerys absorbed everything he said, even the goody goody bullshit that came with it.

During one particular training session, Taelerys concentrated as she countered Ser Rodrik's blows as he had taught her. Gradually, it became more difficult to dodge his attacks, smacking her with the flat of the blade a few times on the legs and the arms. Panting immensely, her moves became sluggish and Ser Rodrik landed a blow across her shoulder. Taelerys let out a loud yelp before falling to the ground, clutching her wound. "Ser Rodrik!" she exclaimed. "You promised not to hurt me!"

Ser Rodrik picked up her shortsword before standing up. "Aye, but an enemy can't promise you that. The enemy will be out to kill you."

That comment left the seven year old breathless. "Are you my enemy?" Taelerys whispered, wondering if Ser Rodrik was trying to play a sick mind game with her. The old master-at-arms smiled at Taelerys, before extending a hand to her. "No, you have done nothing wrong, child." Ser Rodrik answered. "I'm just showing you what may happen when you fight. You will get stabbed, you will be cut, and you will get hurt. You need to know how it feels, so you can become used to the pain."

Taelerys stood up, pressing down on the bleeding wound. Her own blood was warm and slippery between her fingers. It was bleeding profusely for being a small cut, Ser Rodrik wouldn't hurt her too badly. That was when she remembered their bodies, all wrapped in red Lannister flags. The color of blood. Rhaenys being stabbed half a hundred times until her screaming died along with her. The stinging and sharp pain she felt in her arm hurt enough as it was. Half a hundred times, she remembered.

Taelerys could feel her eyes watering, on the verge of breaking down and crying again for her fallen family. Ser Rodrik noticed all the emotion leave her face. Only sadness and sorrow remained. A single tear fell onto her rosy cheek. "I am hurt, Ser Rodrik," Taelerys stammered, pointing to her heart. "Right here."

A look of regret formed on Ser Rodrik's face. He did not mean to offend the little child. Before he could say more, a carriage along with a couple of horses. Lord Stark and Ser Howland Reed arrived on horseback. "Ser Rodrik. Taelerys." Lord Stark said, a bundle strapped across his shoulder to waist. It didn't look like a loaf of bread. It was shaped like a baby. Taelerys was just wondered what happened to the rest of Lord Stark's men.

"My lord, what happened? Where's Lyanna?" Ser Rodrik inquired with stress. Secretly, Ser Rodrick already knew the answer. He just didn't want to assume the worst. But, his fears were confirmed when Lord Stark sadly shook his head. Another horse carrying a woman pulled up beside Lord Stark along with a small cart. Bodies wrapped with bandages with one coffin in the middle of them. Ser Rodrik let out a hasty breath upon learning the news. "It is time to return to the North to bury our dead," Ser Howland instructed. Taelerys noticed how emerald green his eyes were. House Reed resided in the swamps of the North, Father had told her. Taelerys didn't know why, but the unique color of his eyes fascinated her. Ser Howland noticed this and smiled back at the orphaned Targaryen. Taelerys wondered if he was taken back by her unique amethyst eyes.

"That's not all," Lord Stark stated. "I bring back my son."

"Robb?"

"No, Robb is with Catelyn in Winterfell...this...is my bastard son."

Ser Rodrik was speechless to say anything. How could someone as honorable as Lord Eddard break his vows to some whore or low born lord's daughter? Ser Rodrik knew the real war was going to be at home when his Lord informed the newly wed and mother Catelyn of this. Taelerys then felt the need to speak. "You need not feel 'bout it my lord, the Targaryens had bastards for years, even legitimizing one line as the Blackfyres." Taelerys interjected. Lord Stark said nothing, instead staring blankly in the ground. He looked so sad and ashamed of what he had done. Taelerys awkwardly turned away.

Taelerys rode with Ned on his horse, during the trip he gave the wailing baby to the wet nurse he brought along. Most of the time, the baby was cared for by the wet nurse. When setting up a small camp and resting for the night, Ned got to hold his bastard son for a little while. The babe had been crying nearly the entire journey home. Ned heard hushed whimpers and cries, though not from the baby. Taelerys sat against a tall oak tree, trying as hard as she could to cry in silence. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. The baby cooed once in his arms, giving Ned an idea to cheer the poor orphaned girl up.

"Taelerys," Lord Stark spoke.

Taelerys turned to him with wide, reddened eyes from crying. She sniffled once, "Yes, my lord?"

Lord Stark carefully sat down beside her, whilst holding the infant. Taelerys wiped her runny nose on her sleeve. "I'm sorry what happened to your family, it was not right what they did to them." Lord Stark said. This girl looked so sad when she looked at him, Ned wanted nothing more than to protect this innocent child. It was the honorable and the right thing to do.

"It wasn't right what my family did to yours either," Taelerys countered, taking Ned by surprise. He wondered just how much this child knew about her father's madness. Ned noticed the bandage surrounding her right wrist. He held the babe tight with one arm, before using the other to lightly touch her arm. Ned remembered the story most of the surviving lords, ladies, knights, and servants told Tywin and Robert. The Mad King had poured wild fire over his daughter's arm to see if she was the blood of the dragon. And she was, the little princess immediately screamed on the top of her lungs as it ignited her arm. Then suddenly, the green flames were extinguished. Nobody knew how or why this happened. Tywin and Robert brushed it off as hog wash, but there were too many witnesses for this to be a fabrication. "Did your father really pour wildfire all over your arm?" Lord Stark inquired.

Taelerys slowly nodded, remembering the horrific memory. "He said 'burn her, let's see if she's a real dragon, for dragons do not burn'."

This horrified Lord Stark, but felt nothing but sympathy and sorrow for his new ward. "I'm so sorry, Taelerys."

"It's not your fault." she simply shrugged off like it was no big deal.

After a long pause, Lord Stark asked, "How did you not get swallowed up by the flames? The wildfire would've melted you away, they're not normal flames, you know."

"I don't know, but I did hear a voice." Taelerys confessed with a furrowed brow.

Lord Stark narrowed his grey eyes. "A voice? What are you talking about?"

"I heard a man's voice from the wildfire, telling me that he would not allow me to burn. I talk to him a lot when playing by the fireplace."

The Lord of Winterfell looked confused as she tried to piece together what happened. Not even an adult could put together how this had supposedly happened. A man's voice from the fire? Ned didnt know if it was just the child's vivid imagination or something more.

Ned decided not to press any further. That wasn't what he originally came for, Ned held out the baby to Taelerys. She winced when Lord Stark slid the baby into her arms. At first, it saddened Taelerys to hold the baby, reminding her so much of the joyful times she had holding Prince Aegon. Lord Eddard stated that she would have those joyful times again. Taelerys glared down at the baby, not wanting to hold the little bastard. It wasn't until the baby opened his eyes and smiled at her that Taelerys changed her stance. His eyes were grey, just like Lord Stark's. He also had an adorable smile with those chubby cheeks. The small baby grabbed at lose lock of her silvery hair with its tiny hand, before Taelerys held out a finger for him to grab. He wrapped his tiny hand around her finger. Taelerys couldn't help but adore the baby. Ned was now standing a few feet away, he smiled to himself when he saw Taelerys fawning over the baby.

Taelerys sat the baby boy up in her arms, causing him to whimper slightly. She nearly giggled when pulling back the blanket to see his thick, curly black hair. The amount of hair on the baby's head was ridiculous. His face was a little red, having apparently been born a few days ago. "He is a pretty babe, my lord," Taelerys smiled at him. "Do you have a name for him?"

Lord Eddard was lazily leaned up against the tree with his arms crossed. "His name will be Jon."

"Jon? Like Jon Connington?" Taelerys inquired. She remembered that Jon Connington was one of Rhaegar's closest friends, before her father had him exiled to Essos. Taelerys remembered him mentioning his disdain for Elia, believing her to be unworthy of the noble Rhaegar. Lord Connington had gotten so drunk when he told Taelerys this, however, he dare not speak of it near Rhaegar or her father. Some said he was in love with the Targaryen prince and after seeing him break down crying, Taelerys believed it.

"No, after my mentor Jon Arryn," Lord Stark corrected. "He is like a father to me."

"He did seem very nice to me, Lord Arryn will make a great Hand of the King." Taelerys pointed out, before looking to Jon, who had fallen asleep in her arms. "Jon. That's a good name for him, Lord Stark. Jon Stark."

"His name is Jon Snow, he's a bastard remember?" Lord Stark reminded her. Taelerys didn't think he'd be too keen to point that out, he should've been ashamed for being infidel after having just got married and getting his lady pregnant.

"Okay. Jon Snow," Taelerys nodded her head. "I still like him, Lord Stark."

"Please, call me Ned." he insisted with a smile. "You need not be so formal with me, you aren't our prisoner."

Taelerys leaned against Ned for comfort, he wrapped an arm around her. "I promise that things will get better." Ned told the girl. "You have a family waiting for you in Winterfell, you'll like it there."

Taelerys hoped so, for she knew better than anyone that there is no such thing as a happy ending. Jon cooed very loudly, causing Taelerys to smile. His stark grey eyes looked into hers. The newborn was probably fascinated by her odd appearance, Taelerys promised to never let anything happen to this child. He was too precious for a bastard. She kissed him on the forehead. "You'll be my best friend, Jon. I promise."


	3. Winter is Coming

Taelerys awoke abruptly thanks to the constant knocking on her door. She lifted herself off from the floor, wrapped up in her bedding and pillows. '_Must have fallen out of bed again,'_ Taelerys thought to herself, letting out a yawn and pushing her messy silver hair out of her face. Taelerys slowly sat up on the floor, reminiscing over the nightmare that she had _again._

"Taly, are you awake?" came the authoritative voice of Robb through the door. Taelerys was still in a trance from what she had seen. She couldn't remember what the dream was about. All Taelerys knew was that there was fire and ice everywhere. Robb suddenly opened the door, not at all taken back by Taelerys being in her under garments. He was used to seeing her that way, as was she, as they both "accidentally" would walk in on each other bathing. Taelerys mostly walked in to see Jon though.

"How come you're not dressed? And did you just wake up?" Robb questioned, sounding rather annoyed. "Mother didn't see you at breakfast..._again."_

She stretched out her arms. "Which mother? Catelyn or you?"

Robb rolled his blue eyes, shutting the door behind him. Taelerys couldn't help but smile to herself as she pulled out the ponytail holding her hairr. '_Robb only woke me up to annoy me,'_ Taelerys thought. She figured that it was time to get ready for what was left of her day anyway. Taelerys was sure that Lady Stark wasn't happy about her missing breakfast and sleeping in for the third time this week. Although she did that quite frequently, Taelerys was easy to forget that she was supposed to be a hostage given how kind and loving the Starks were to her.

The proper term was an honored guest and it was true, Taelerys had been treated like a first born daughter to the Lord and Lady Stark, who preferred to be called Ned or Cat. She couldn't help but be respectful of them, Taelerys owed them her life and was forever grateful to them. Her abrupt addition to the family t took some getting used to by Lady Catelyn, as well as Taelerys, but the Tully eventually grew to adore the beautiful an orphaned Targaryen child. Taelerys wasn't mad like her father, or at least, not _as_ mad as him. Taelerys knew that she drove Lady Catelyn mad at times by encouraging Arya's rebellious and tomboyish behavior.

Taelerys put on a thick long grey dress with warm black leggings underneath, and a dark brown cloak with wolf fur linings. The Starks were used to the cold, but being a Targaryen, Taelerys was not. '_I am a dragon,' _Taelerys reminded herself, slipping on her flats. '_Accustomed to the fires of summer.'_

But, those days were long over.

No matter how many the years she had been in Winterfell, Taelerys just couldn't adjust to the naturally cold environment. In retrospect, at least the people of the North weren't cold, that much anyway. The Starks were kind and loving family, that was the only thing keeping Taelerys warm. Taelerys glanced at herself in the mirror and flinched. It wasn't because her hair was all mangled. It was because her hair was so white. The bright white Valyrian hair that she now despised. She was the only Targaryen in the Seven Kingdoms, that was evidence of her heritage to any stranger immediately. Theon and Robb made fun of Taelerys when they were young, calling her a 'hag' and 'old lady'. They didn't realize at the time what effect it had on Taelerys. The worst of it was that she would always be known as the Mad King's Daughter.

She roughly brushed her hair before gathering the front of her hair and formed a small braid at the top of her head. The rest of her silvery hair fell in wavy cascade down her shoulders._ 'Like snow on a mountain,'_ Jon Snow had once said, grasping a strand of her hair and twirling it with her fingers. _'Snow.'_

Taelerys remembered blushing madly as no one had ever complimented her like that. She only got mad fun of for it, and now Taelerys had a reason to love it. The only other person who did actually like her odd hair color was Sansa. It amused Taelerys that Sansa was so envious of her hair when she had a beautiful shade of auburn. Then again, Sansa was the silliest girl in all of Winterfell just like her best friend Jeyne Poole. It especially annoyed Taelerys when Sansa asked her what it was like to be a princess and live in the Red Keep. After a glare and telling her that the Mad King poured wildfire her right arm, Sansa never asked again.

Taelerys walked through the busy courtyard of Winterfell, greeted by several servants and workers around the small castle. She waved to a couple of them and spoke to Old Nan as she walked inside the house. These were the only people that didn't give her the stares. They knew enough about Taelerys to know that she was nothing like her father. Most admired her for the beautiful and sane woman she was.

Taelerys arrived at the shooting gallery where Bran was practicing his archery skills. He shot an arrow and it hit the very border of the target. Chuckles began erupting quietly among his brothers. Rickon was having the most fun, sitting on a saddle and laughing really hard. "Even I could shoot better in my sleep," Taelerys mumbled, a little too loudly as Bran turned around to glare at her.

Jon wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder, an action that raised eyebrows and made Taelerys blush immensely. Robb had a wide smile on his face, even though Taelerys was supposed to be his betrothed. "Speaking of sleep, did you just get out of hibernation?" Jon joked.

"She sure did," Robb added. "Looking alive, Taly."

"Shut up, the both of you!" Taelerys snapped at them, crossing her arms.

Jon refused to stop his tirade of banter with the Targaryen. "Shouldn't you be doing needlework with Septa Mordane?" He asked, putting some of the arrows back in the barrel. Taelerys rolled her eyes at that.

_"Piss off,"_ she spat.

All of them began erupting into laughter again. Taelerys was the only one standing there with an annoyed look, but eventually smiled. They were always so playful with each other. Robb slapped Jon on the back in a brotherly fashion. Theon clicked his tongue a few times, waving his finger in front of me. "Naughty, naughty, Taly," he teased. "A lady shouldn't spout such vile words."

"Good thing I'm not a lady then," I smiled up at him.

Theon raised an eyebrow. "No? Then are you a man?"

"I'm sure you're eager to find out."

"Time and place, Taly."

Taelerys was so annoyed by the Greyjoy's sexual schemes and frequent trips to the whore house. Jon never did any of that. Though she was certain that he had thought about it. Now, Theon was eyeing her like a delicious piece of chicken and Taelerys didn't like it.

She merely gave him a taunting smile. "No thanks, Theon. I'm saving myself for someone who's actually special."

_"Ohhhhhh!"_ cooed the boys as they all began laughing once more. Theon paled after Taelerys had said that. She had delivered a blow to his ego.

"Who? Jon Snow?" Theon then mocked, a smirk on his face before laughing aloud.

Immediately, Taelerys felt her heart skip a beat when he said that. Her heart rate rose as she could feel her blood boil in her face. Not from anger, but from embarrassment, because it was true. Jon looked away from Taelerys, who was as shy about it as her. She glared heavily at Theon as her cheeks blazed with heat. Theon looked quite amused, poking her on the nose. _"Someone_ is blushing," he snickered. "Uh oh, Robb, I think we might have a problem here! Taly is eying Jon!"

Jon's face turned red as Bran and Rickon laughed from behind Theon like a couple of little girls. Robb said nothing about the joke, his face now devoid of emotion. Taelerys decided not to antagonize with Theon any further. This was not how she wanted to start the morning. Taelerys walked away leaving behind a disappointed Theon Greyjoy. She shot Jon a warm smile before walking away. Jon couldn't help but watch Taelerys walk away. She was so beautiful to look at and was the only woman he ever felt comfortable talking to. Yet, she was betrothed to his trueborn half-brother Robb. Ever since Lady Stark had discovered how close his friendship was with Taelerys, she only seemed to treat Jon even worse.

Taelerys didn't do needlework with Sansa, Arya, Jeyne and Beth today. Being twenty-one, she was considered an adult and make more decisions for herself. Taelerys was learning Valyrian with Maester Luwin and keeping up on her swordsplay with Ser Rodrik and the other boys. Initially, it was frowned upon by the Starks, but Taelerys convinced them otherwise when she showed talent. Jon had stated that she must have gotten it from her older brother Rhaegar, but realized his error too late that her brother had kidnapped and raped his aunt, Lyanna Stark.

At the same time, Taelerys kept up on sewing and making new clothes, usually for herself, but she would make or repair clothing for the Starks and the members of the household. All except for Theon of course, she didn't want to know what he did in his pants. Taelerys was happy that Lord Stark encouraged her to continue learning her native tongue, which Maester Luwin had to do to in order to help her learn. Taelerys decided to walk to the stables on her to the study with Maester Luwin. On her way there, Taelerys spotted Arya getting an earful from Septa Mordane.

"Sansa started it! She said my napkin looked like it a two-year old stitched it!" Arya ranted. "I hate Sansa! I hate her so much! She thinks she's so perfect with her perfect hair, her perfect eyes, her perfect manners, and perfect grace, I'm sick of it!"

"That's fine, but you know that your mother, your father and I don't approve of your always needing to settle these things with your fists," Mordane scolded with such disapproval in her voice. "You are a lady, Arya. You must practice your needlework. When the time comes for you to be married, you will need to learn these skills."

Arya rolled her eyes. "I don't want to get married and I don't want to learn how to sew!"

"Do as your told!" the Septa retorted sharply. Taelerys heard voices from far away and turned to see Sansa and Jeyne standing only a few yard away. They were giggling at the scene unfolding before them. Sansa leaned over to Jeyne and said loud enough for Arya to hear, "Who would want to marry her anyway?"

Both girls began laughing with their hands over their mouths. Arya glared viciously at them, that was, until she saw Taelerys. Arya pointed at her with an accusatory finger. "Taelerys never has to come!" Arya interjected, looking for any excuse to escape the Septa's lessons.

"Don't bring me in to this," Taelerys snorted._ 'That girl will find every excuse in the book in order to avoid Septa Mordane's lessons.' _She thought with a sigh.

Septa Mordane turned around to see Taelerys. Her eyes flickered to the violet eyes and snow white hair. Taelerys flinched from the gaze, but wondered if Septa Mordane actually admired the way she looked. The Septa turned back to the dismayed Arya. "Taelerys is twenty-one years old!" Septa Mordane responded. "She is not the greatest at needlework but even then, Taelerys tried and sat through my lessons! Taelerys fixes up most of the clothing all around here!"

"Especially yours, Arya,_"_ Taelerys pointed out with a cheeky grin. Arya stuck her tongue out at her. "I know it's grueling, but just endure it. I survived it after all."

Septa Morande shot Taelerys a slightly irritated look telling her 'you're not helping here'. Indeed, Taelerys wasn't the greatest at needlework or any other ladylike skills, although she enjoyed some aspects of it. That was probably why Sansa did so well at needlework, she wanted to do it. Arya didn't, so who could expect her to excel at it.

"Perhaps Arya can work on her needlework while I am in the study?" Taelerys suggested. "Maybe a good story about Valryian dragons will help get her work done."

"Anywhere but in a room with Sansa," Arya pouted, her arms crossed.

Septa Mordane looked to Taelerys, then to Arya, pondering whether or not this was a good idea. Finally, the Septa caved in to the future Lady of Winterfell's request and handed the Arya her cloth with the needle dangling by a thread. "You have one hour to finish, if it is not done by then, I am reporting to Lady Catelyn." Septa Mordane warned. With that, the Septa grabbed the edges of her gown and marched away with Sansa and Jeyne to finish up their sewing. Arya let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Taly. I think you just saved my life."

"You still need to do your work though," Taelerys told her, indicating that she wasn't going to let Arya fool around. Otherwise, she'd get into trouble too. The two girls walked through the stables towards the study where Maester Luwin was at most of the time. Taelerys was practicing for a test. Maester Luwin was a little better at High Valyrian than she was, having practiced the language a little bit in the citadel. Now, he was just as eager to learn as Taelerys was. Maester Luwin always had a fascination with history and learning, hence why he became a Maester. The elderly man was a wise and kind man to Taelerys, never looking down at her once. She appreciated that very much.

Taelerys sat at the desk with her High Valyrian to Common Tongue Dictionary, bent over the book with a piece of paper and quill. She muttering words to herself, studying and practicing the words aloud. Arya sat next to her with her needlework, glancing over to Taelerys a few time. She did a couple of lazy stitches before starting a conversation. That would get Arya going.

A devilish smile appeared on Arya's face. She looked over to Taelerys and asked, "Do you know any swear words in Valyrian?"

Taelerys looked at her suspiciously, flipping the page. Before narrowing her eyes and smiling back. "High Valyrian," Taelerys corrected, before answered Arya. "And yes, I do..._why?"_

Taelerys knew why Arya wanted to know, but asked anyway for her own amusement. Taelerys had always known that Arya's intentions were usually never good. That Stark was always up to trouble.

"I have a few things to say to Sansa in Valyrian," Arya replied with an innocent look on her face. Realizing what she meant, the both of them laughed loudly a few times before Taelerys put her head down, face palming at how cheeky Arya was. It was strange, Arya was so much younger than Taelerys. The common thought was that the major age difference as well as maturity levels would be a road block to it. But, it only seemed to bring them closer and they were the best of friend. An adult and a child.

_'More like sisters,'_ Taelerys corrected herself.

"How do you say 'you bitch' in Valyrian?" Arya inquired. She had stopped her needlework about five minutes ago. It was something that didn't go unnoticed by Taelerys, who tapped the cloth once with the back of her feathered quill to remind the Stark to do her work, Arya let out a groan and continued to try sew double stitches on some pattern she was tracing. "It depends, there's different variations of Valyrian. There's High Valyrian, which I'm primarily learning, Astapori Valyrian, Assahai Valyrian–" Taelerys listed.

"–I don't care which language it is," Arya interrupted. "Just as long as it's a swear word."

"Of course you would," Taelerys said with a snicker. She figured that Arya wouldn't want to know too much about Valyria's history at the moment. She was more interested in getting back at Sansa.

_"Ao aspos."_ Taelerys answered in a heavy accent, not speaking through her nose. High Valyrian had to be spoken in a very pretentious manner, as the Valyrians back before the Doom were very powerful and commanded respect. Now, High Valyrian was spoken just to be arrogant. Although Taelerys didn't consider herself to be arrogant, she spoke High Valyrian with pride as it was her heritage.

"Ow ahs pose?" Arya repeated, sounding unsure of what she was saying.

"No, it's _ao aspos,"_ I answered. "You need to say it with dignity and pride in the accent otherwise it just sounds like you're saying 'ow ass pose'."

Arya let out a giggle before almost falling out of her chair. Taelerys wondered if they were just like Sansa and Jeyne too, just two silly little girls. Arya then grinned at Taelerys. _"Ao aspos."_ she imitated perfectly.

"Good job," Taelerys congratulated. "Maybe you should learn High Valyrian, Arya. I won't say it's easy, but it's more fun than needlework."

"Picking up dog shit is more fun than needlework," Arya scoffed.

That made Taelerys burst out with laughter, resting her head on the book while her body shake. Arya couldn't help but join on in. They stopped abruptly when they noticed Maester Luwin shooting them a stare, signalling to get back to work. Taelerys cleared her throat and went back to reciting High Valyrian phrases.

Suddenly, the door burst open. It was Bran and Rickon. They were holding what looked like puppies in their arms, one of which started whining. "Arya, come quick, Father came home with a liter of direwolf puppies!" Bran exclaimed.

"We get to have one!" Rickon happily added.

"Direwolves? Really?" Arya gasped with excitement. It was like getting a new puppy, only in this case it was a direwolf puppy. That was far more dangerous than a pet dog. Something Taelerys knew that Arya would enjoy immensely.

"Yes, we all get to have one, including Jon!" Bran stated all at once, before turning to Taelerys. "Sorry Taly, you don't get one! You're not a direwolf!"

"You're right," she smiled, putting her hands on her hips and feigning disappointment. "Now, where's my dragon?"

Immediately, Arya threw down her needlework on the floor and ran with Bran to the kitchens. Taelerys sighed once, picking up Arya's needle and cloth. The design and sewing were beyond awful looking. It looked like Arya was trying to make a flower, though the pedals and vines were misshapen and some of the stitches too large. Arya messed up on a couple stitches too. Taelerys placed it on the table before walking outside. What Bran said to Taelerys stung her in the worst way possible. She would never truly be a part of this family, at least, not yet when Lord Eddard planned to wed her to his son, Robb. The thought made her sad as she didn't want Robb, the next in line to be the Lord of Winterfell. She wanted Jon Snow. A bastard, not the handsome noble lord's son. By this point, even Robb could sense that she didn't love him like his bastard brother. Yet to her shock, he never said anything, Robb never displayed jealousy or got upset with her. In fact, Robb didn't say a word about it. Taelerys didn't know whether to be worried about it or not. She ultimately decided to push the thoughts away and go see the direwolf puppies.

Jon slid the little ball of white fur into Taelerys' arms, the direwolf puppy whimpered once. He was definitely a lot smaller than the rest of the liter, also a completely different color. The pup was an albino, his fur was white as snow and had blood red eyes. The wolf pup stood out like a red, or in this case, white flag, it reminded Taelerys of herself and her own ridiculous white hair. "He's the runt of the pack," Before Taelerys playfully nudged Jon in the arm. "Just like you are."

Taelerys had an innocent smile on her face, to which Jon fringed his lips and snorted at her. He lightly hit Taelerys on the back of her head, just as teasing as she was being. "Says the one with white hair!"

"You mean, 'hair as white as snow'?" Taelerys teased.

The both of them laughed.

Taelerys adored Jon more than she should've. Jon was the only one who never gave her the freakish stares. They were both outsiders and knew what that was like to be looked down upon. She had never seen Jon's eyes this close before. There was something different about his eyes. Yes, Jon was Lord Stark's bastard son and he looked just like him, but his eyes weren't the same shade of grey that his half-siblings Arya and Bran were. At times, Taelerys could've sworn his eyes were the same shade of amethyst that hers were. But, that was only when the sunlight refracted in the iris of his eyes. Like it was right now.

"Taelerys can't get enough of Jon's gorgeous blue eyes." Theon teased, interrupting their moment.

Jon was instantly on the defense. _"Shut up."_ he hissed to the Greyjoy.

"His eyes are grey, idiot." Taly answered with a sting to her voice.

The wolf really could howl with laughter. Taelerys felt her face burning hotter than a dragon's fire breath. She didn't know if it was because she was blushing or angered. Theon turned around and pretended that he was making out with someone. Theon made obscene moaning noises, to which Jon, Arya, Bran, and Rickon were sniggering with laughter. Without even thinking, Taelerys grabbed the nearest object, which was a wooden cup, and chucked it at Theon. It hit him on the back of his brown bob. Theon yelped as he rubbed the back of his head. "Ow, that really hurt!"

"That did not!" Taelerys snorted with an eyeroll.

The young Starks as well as Theon continued to laugh at them. Taelerys and Jon stood beside each other, not at all amused by the situation. Theon, of course, always enjoyed teasing the two relentlessly.

"Do the ol' in and outsie yet?" Theon continued to joke, before winking at them. Theon repeatedly put his pointer finger into an 'O' formed by his finger and thumb on his other hand, imitating fucking. That was when Jon grabbed a knife off the kitchen table. "The only thing that is going to be doing the in and outsie is this knife in your asshole!" Jon shouted, running after a laughing Theon. Taelerys was amused by their playful banter. Robb knocked the knife out of Jon's hand, which promptly fell to the muddy ground.

Right in front of Lady Catelyn.

The atmosphere immediately changed, now it was suddenly was as cold as the climate should be. Lady Catelyn glowered at Jon, who could only stare at his feet. She hated how much Jon looked so much like her lord husband. A constant reminder of his infidelity. "Take the knife and get out," Lady Catelyn nearly barked at Jon. "Someone could've gotten hurt!"

Jon just nodded, before picking up the muddy knife and walking past them. Taelerys shot him a sympathetic glance as he abruptly left. They were only playing but, understandably, Lady Catelyn didn't see it that way. Taelerys followed after Jon into the kitchen. She still hadn't had her breakfast, or lunch, considering it was now the afternoon. One of the maids handed her a plate of bread with a slab of bacon. They had grown adjusted to Taelerys's messed up schedule of sleeping and eating. Taelers greedily ate the food and washed it down with some High Garden pear wine. She could hear the boys still chattering outside. They were just like little girls, Taelerys swore. Unbeknownst to them, Taelerys could hear what Jon and Robb were saying.

_"So, ya tell the girl ya love 'er?"_ Robb asked, placing a hand on Jon's shoulder.

_"No,"_ Jon answered, clearly not amused. _"She's supposed your betrothed, Robb."_

_"Don't remind me,"_ groaned Robb. _"She fancies you, ya know."_

_"No, she doesn't."_

_"And you fancy her!"_ Bran interjected with a wild laugh.

_"No, I don't!"_ Jon proclaimed in an even louder voice.

_"It's a wonder how a Snow managed to seduce a Targaryen."_

_"I didn't seduce her, it's not like that! Taly is Robb's to wed! She isn't mine or anything!"_

That made Taelerys's heart sink. Theon sneered once, _"Like that's going to stop you, wouldn't stop me."_

_"Shut up, Greyjoy! You haven't a shred of honor."_

Marriage.

_'If only Jon had been born a Stark.'_

Taelerys was almost twenty-two years old, still a virgin and unmarried. That was unusual for someone of her age, especially given that she was of noble birth. At least, originally she was. Although Taelerys was no longer royalty, her name wasn't without merit, even with all the carnage it cause. Taelerys knew that Lord Stark had her betrothed to his eldest son, Robb. It was only natural, Taelerys had been their political hostage and ward for the last seventeen years. They would marry her into the Stark family so she could officially be one of them. By proving her loyalty, Taelerys would be accepted back into the Seven Kingdoms. To do so, Taelerys would be sacrificing her love for Jon and her remaining family. Taelerys even yearned for the comfort of her twin brother, Viserys was the one she was supposed to marry and be with forever.

_'We shared a womb, we came into the world together,'_ Taelerys thought with a familiar crippling sadness. '_We were destined to belong together.'_

After her father and brother destroyed their entire family from the Targaryen madness. The very madness Taelerys feared everyday that she might have. Taelerys would never see Viserys or her meet her younger sister. She didn't even know her name. The very thought was enough to depress her for days on end, just like it did when Taelerys learned that her mother Rhaella had died giving birth to her sister during a terrible storm. They were her real family, or what was left of it. Just as much a victim as Taelerys was. Her beloved mother, her sister-by-law Elia, her niece and nephew, Rhaenys and Aegon, and so many others were dead.

_'The Seven Kingdoms was lost to the Usurper and the Old Lion.'_

Taelerys was just going to rot in the coldest place in Westeros for the rest of her life. There would be no more happiness or joy. She had to stay bound to the Starks like a bitch on a leash. At one point, Taelerys even planned on running away to Essos to be with her remaining siblings, but it was too risky. And she loved the Starks too much to betray them. Taelerys soon realized that they were now her joy and happiness.

After Taelerys was finished with her plate, she went outside for a walk. By the Seven Gods, the boys were _still_ making a fuss of Taelerys and Jon. If Lord Stark caught wind of that, she was certain he would not be happy. Taelerys was to be Robb's, not Jon's.

Theon shot her a look that was between amusement and disappointment. "Targaryens must have low standards if they like to sleep with bastards." he sneered. That wasn't a joke from the way Theon said it. It was clearly an insult disguised as comedy. Nothing could hide the contempt Theon had for Taelerys for not returning his lecherous affections.

"I'd rather be this bastard's whore than your wife," Taelerys retorted coldly.

Theon looked like he was struck repeatedly in the face. Robb spat out his drink, making some of it come out of his nose. Rickon sat on the crate cackling and laughing alongside him. Taelerys couldn't help but crack a smile when she passed Jon. She felt the anger dissipate when he returned the warm smile back, grateful for defending him. Grateful for loving him.

"I'm going to call him Ghost." Jon informed Taelerys, holding the white pup in his arms. Jon, Theon, the Stark children and were outside with the six direwolf puppies. They were all debating names for each of them. Taelerys was the only one that felt left out.

"Shaggydog!" Rickon cried out, hugging his red haired direwolf pup. "Shaggy!"

"That's a stupid name," Arya snorted.

Rickon kicked his sister in the leg, but before any fight could break out Robb had already separated the two. The brown wolf pup at his feet barked once. It was so shrill and weak compared to when this wolf would be full grown. "I'm going to name him Grey Wind," Robb decided with pride.

Taelerys reached down to pet the small wolf, only to have it growl back at her. Maybe it was a sign that she and Robb were never meant to be. Or that the direwolf was just unfriendly. Most likely the latter, Taelerys sometimes overthought things. She quickly stood up from her crouch.

"Feisty," She smirked. "Just like his owner."

Robb lightly socked her in the shoulder with a wide smile. Sansa ignored our interaction, raising her head high like it was her official turn to talk. "I'm naming mine 'Lady' because she will be a lady," Sansa smiled at her direwolf. "Just like her owner."

The grey and white puppy sat down beside Sansa. Lady was the only one who didn't bark wildly like her brothers and sister. Maybe Lady really was a lady like Sansa. Bran was silent as he held his pup, deep in thought. Bran was still trying to come up with a name for his direwolf.

"I'm naming mine Nymeria because she will be a warrior queen," Arya said, before grinning at her sister. "Being a warrior queen is way better than a stupid lady."

Sansa scoffed at that, walking away with Lady at her side. "You should have named your dog 'Ruffian' because that's all you are, Arya."

Arya stuck her tongue out at that sister of hers. "And don't you forget it!"

"Shaggy! Shaggy! Shaggydog!" Rickon chanted, the little six year old hopping happily around the pup. The wolf looked to his master as Rickon circled him like a wilding. The little red head was ignoring all the tension between his sisters.

"Taly, what's a good name?" Bran asked.

Taelerys shrugged. "Balerion? That was the name of my cat back in King's Landing."

"It's a direwolf, not a dragon."

"Come on, Balerion the Brown Dead, that's a great name!"

"No!"

Robb and Theon started listing names to him. Every name they suggested was rejected by Bran. Although Taelerys had to admit that the names were getting more stupider than the last. Theon wasn't taking it as seriously as Bran was, who was intent on giving his pup the perfect name. Theon twirled around once with his finger tapping his chin repeatedly, deep in thought. An idea sparked into Theon's mind, Taelerys knew from the sudden look in his eyes. She wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Theon was smiling.

"How about..._Taelerys?"_ Theon suggested, before stupidly laughing at his own joke. "We can call her 'Taly' for short."

"It's a boy, not a girl!" Bran exclaimed.

Theon was clearly amused by this. Taelerys merely shook her head. "I'd have Bran name his bitch 'Theon', but the name and role are already taken by you." she immediately retorted. All three of the Stark brothers burst out with laughter. Taerlerys couldn't help but smirk with her arms crossed, she always won these little showdowns. No one was as witty as Taelerys was. Theon's face darkened with anger. His beady brown eyes glaring into her violet ones. Theon picked up a small rock and threw it at her. It hit Taelerys on the side of her silvery head, but it was only a mere peddle. Sometimes, no one couldn't tell whether Theon was being serious or not. He could be so rude and arrogant. Yet, Taelerys should've been closer friends to him. Theon was the same as her, a prisoner, a political hostage, and a ward. Taelerys knew that at the end of the day that Theon genuinely cared about her and her safety. They just didn't get along as much as they should've, given their own similar backgrounds.

Bran slid off the crate with his unnamed puppy in his arms. Jon was outside of the courtyard with Ghost, who was rolling around in the grass. It was a very misty day out just like it always was, other than it snowing frequently. "You just found these direwolf pups out in the woods?" Taerlerys inquired, rubbing the ear of Bran's brown puppy.

"Yes," Jon answered, not looking to her. "It's strange though, direwolves are very rare to find. They stay up in the mountains yet we found them here down below."

Taelerys stepped closer, eager to be beside Jon. "Very strange indeed," she agreed. "I wonder what brought them down from the mountains."

Now their shoulders were touching. Taelerys felt happy from the warmth of his arm through his leather sleeve. She was practically dressed to hike through the snow. Stark blood ran hot, while hers ran cold. Bran looked to be remembering something. "I think I know why, that deserter who was killed today said something,"

"You watched Lord Stark execute a man?" Taelerys nearly gaped. "And this happened today?"

Jon shot her an amused look. "Yeah, while you were sleeping in, you lazy bum."

"Oh," Taelerys merely said, feeling even more dumb.

"The deserter said he saw the Others," Bran interjected, trying to stay on the subject. What Bran had said broke the ice, it was such a ridiculous concept. Jon scoffed at the idea of the Others, or White Walkers, as some called them, ever existing. Taelerys noticed that it had gotten much colder. around her. The chill in the wind was always too much for her. Taelerys wondered if that was just her or the just the winds of the upcoming winter. "That's ridiculous, the Others never even existed." Jon insisted.

"They did exist, Jon," Taelerys answered. "That's why the Wall was built and the Night's Watch were created, to defend from the White Walkers Not the wildlings."

Bran turned to Jon and raised his eyebrows, as if he were saying 'see? she believes me!'. That only irritated Jon that Taly even considered believing this wet nurse rubbish. "No one has seen a White Walker for eight thousand years, Bran," Jon countered. "Come on, you can't be serious."

"Now, you just admitted that the Others existed," Taly frowned.

Bran continued on as if they had never said any thing. "Dragons have left this world and the Night's Watch is weaker than ever. Don't you think that would be the perfect opportunity to strike? The deserter said the Others killed a bunch of wildings and the rangers he was with. This man was on the Night's Watch for fifteen years. Why forsake your vows now?"

"Because he got tired of it." Jon immediately assumed.

"Come on, Jon! That's not it!" Bran stomped his foot into the ground like an upset girl. Taelerys was unsure of what to think of all this. Bran did present a good argument, but it was only hearsay at this point. It was like believing in the Children of the Forest. Those were only fairytales. There were only one thing she was told to fear growing up: winter is coming. No one ever said anything about the White Walkers. But maybe, it did refer to the White Walkers, because they were creatures of winter, cold, and ice. The Stark words were an interesting one, they were one of the few noble Houses who family words were not a boast or a threat. Instead, the House Stark family motto was a warning:

_'Winter is coming.'_

_'What were the Stark ancestors thinking when they came up with that motto?'_ Taelerys wondered. An abrupt whistle interrupted their conversation. They turned around to see Robb standing at the entrance to the Winterfell castle. "Enough chatting, ladies. You need to help around the castle and lay out your best clothes," Robb ordered. "Oh, and Taly, clean your chambers."

"Why?" Bran asked, just as confused as we were.

"The King is coming to Winterfell." Robb replied, turning around and heading inside.

Taelerys frowned once. "Why do I have to clean my chamber?"


	4. The Usurper

Jon Arryn, the King's Hand had died and now the King, or the Usurper as Taelerys commonly referred to him, was riding out to claim Lord Stark as his new Hand. The Usurper would arrive any day now and so the castle was rushing around in mayhem to accommodate him and his family. And Taelerys couldn't have been anymore nervous. She was going to meet the man who bludgeoned her brother and openly expressed his approval over how Elia, Aegon, and Rhaenys were murdered. Taelerys would never forget the hateful look the Usurper gave her that day. She let out a sigh, returning to her work.

Servants were scrubbing the floor, replacing the candles on the chandeliers, dusting off the tapestries, adding more tables, preparing the food and shelter, and so forth. Sansa was helping to set the tables with Jon and Robb. Arya was begrudgingly washing the floor, with little to no effort in her work at all. Taelerys was just as unenthusiastic as Arya was. This was anything but exciting.

Taelerys watched from as the visitors poured through the castle gates in a river of gold, silver, and polished steel. There were three hundred strong men, all knights and bannerman, who had swords at their belts and horses to ride. A dozen golden banners whipped through the northern wind. Taelerys gritted her teeth in anger once she saw the emblem. The crowned stag of House Baratheon. Behind it, the red banners with the Lannister lion on it. The two families that murdered her own were going to honored guests at her new home.

"Where's Arya?" Lady Catelyn asked, looking around for her. Sansa shrugged uncaring when her mother asked where her sister is. Taelerys caught Sansa gazing at the blonde prince, shooting an appreciative smile at Prince Joffrey Baratheon. When Sansa noticed her staring, Taelerys made a look of disgust. Of course she would fall for the son of the Usurper. Nothing upset Taelerys even more, Sansa knew how badly she hated the Baratheons and Lannisters. But, Sansa didn't seem to care and that aggravated Taelerys more than anything.

Sansa simply snorted, sticking her nose to the sky. Taelerys was made to stand in between Robb and Sansa, as she was Robb's betrothed. This made her extremely nervous and anxious. She did not want to see the Usurper, and Taelerys was certain he did not want to see her.

Taelerys didn't know any of the riders. The only ones she recognized was Ser Jaime Lannister, his hair the color of gold. Ser Jaime leapt down from his horse, handsome and clad in his silver and gold Kingsguard armor. A couple of girls giggled from behind Taelerys, fawning over his good looks. Ser Jaime scanned the line up of Stark children before resting on Taelerys. Her face completely devoid of emotion, though Taelerys hoped he could sense the animosity burning in her eyes.

Ser Jaime seemed to notice and smiled at Taelerys. Her eyebrows narrowed as she glowered at him like an angry dog. The only thing that seemed to change with Ser Jaime was his age, he looked to be in his late thirties. Seventeen years had passed and he was still as handsome as ever. The one thing that didn't change was his arrogance. The image of Ser Jaime laying lazily on the Iron Throne, his sword covered in her father's blood, who lay below him was forever burned into her mind.

This only amused Ser Jaime, who merely nodded his head with approval. That man had the gull to smile at Taelerys when he stabbed her father, his king, in the back after swearing an oath to protect him. The Mad King deserved to die, but for Ser Jaime to break an oath like that and still be a Kingsguard was just as unforgivable in her eyes.

The parade of Kingsmen began to dismount. A huge double-decked carriage of oak and glided metal pulled by ten horses entered the well house. The door opened and the Usurper's queen and the daughter of Lord Tywin, Cersei Lannister, exited with her two younger children. Taelerys couldn't stop herself from shaking, her eyes wide with horror. To her surprise, Robb grabbed her hand and held it reassuringly. Taelerys looked back to Jon, who was lined behind her. She gave him a look of sorrow and longing, wishing that it were Jon holding her hand instead.

Taelerys bowed as did the rest of Winterfell. The Usurper quickly approached the Lord of Winterfell, and motioned for Lord Eddard to rise. Everyone rose with him. The Usurper seemed to be having a staring contest with Ned. His small beady eyes furrowed and he broke the silence, "You've got fat.".

Taelerys didn't understand whether he truly meant it or not, the Usurper sounded so serious when he said it. She waited for Ned to react to the insult. Ned merely raised his eyebrow and gestured to the Usurper's fat belly. The Usurper burst out into laughter, before hugging his old friend. She was a little relieved that the Usurper was joking, because the joke was on him. Ned knelt to kiss the queen's ring, while the Usurper embraced Catelyn like a sister. Then Taelerys and the Stark children were all brought forward to be properly introduced to the Usurper. Cersei was every bit as beautiful as her twin, Jaime. She would've been more attractive had it not been for the look of disdain on her face like there was dung under her nose. The same look that her son Prince Joffrey had when riding into Winterfell.

Taelerys looked to the Usurper and was utterly disappointed and mortified with his appearance. She couldn't imagine this man being the Demon of the Trident that Taelerys remembered. Robert Baratheon was nothing more than a fat old man, nothing like the strapping, handsome young man she met in King's Landing. His commanding voice and domineering personality hadn't changed though, that was what had scared Taelerys as a child back during the Sack of King's Landing. Aside from the vengeful look in his blue eyes. Those remained unchanged.

The Usurper rubbed the mess of red hair atop Rickon's head, causing him to laugh a few times. "Cat," he greeted to Catelyn. His face paled when he saw Taelerys, who was staring at the ground, unmoving. Robb squeezed her hand and encouraged her to look up. The Usurper seemed to be just as petrified as Taelerys was, she only hoped that her Targaryen appearance didn't remind him of Rhaegar. Taelerys decided that she was going to be polite, if the Usurper was, then that was his own problem. She would not disgrace herself in front Lord Stark.

Taelerys curtsied to the man who murdered her family. "Your Grace," she said in a monotone voice. The Usurper said nothing to Taelerys, before moving on to Sansa.

"_Why isn't this silver haired bitch dead?"_ His voice had boomed through the throne room. There was a degree of terror from Robert Baratheon, but not nearly as much as there used to be. Still, her interaction with the Usurper still frightened Taelerys. The Lannister blond bitch queen glanced over at Taelerys. At first, her eyes seemed to widen, but then they narrowed into green daggers. Taelerys was glad when the Old Lion's daughter walked away from her, even pleased when the Usurper spurned her for the crypts of Winterfell.

* * *

The first thing Taelerys noticed when she started living in Winterfell was that it was the complete opposite of King's Landing, just like north and south were supposed to be. The North was cold and not as rich as down in the South, so they wore heavy furs and leather instead. Woman relied on elaborate embroidery to compensate for the lack of jewelry they couldn't afford. The diversity always intrigued Taelerys, it wasn't like the South in King's Landing where everything was rich and fancy. The North wore grey and blue to resemble the cold, even brown to match the color of the animal furs they wore. _'Less is more,'_ Taelerys remembered. _'But, I am different than all of them.'_

Taelerys wasn't a Stark and didn't plan on being one, although Lord Stark did. Taelerys was a dragon among wolves. _'You can't throw a wolf pelt on a dragon and try to convince someone that it was a direwolf.'_ she told herself. Taelerys wanted to proudly display her heritage as a Targaryen, but at the same time pay tribute to the Starks who had raised her. She was a part of both worlds know. Now, it was time for Taelerys to introduce herself back into the new world.

The fiddles played fibrous as did the chatter when Taelerys approached the great hall. She gulped once to herself, standing before the closed doors of the great hall. _'I am the blood of the dragon,'_ Taelerys repeatedly reminded herself. Lord Stark wouldn't let the Usurper hurt her. Taelerys felt her palms start to sweat as did her body. She managed to compose herself before entering.

_'Into the lion's den, I go.'_

Taelerys open one of the big, wooden doors. It squeaked open loudly, which led to all the heads snapping towards her direction. Everyone was still dining at the tables and feasting when this happened. The real celebration hadn't even started. Now, all eyes were on Taelerys. Most of the conversations grew dim when they saw her. They were all mesmerized by what they were seeing.

Taelerys wore a Northern-style chestnut colored dress with a high-necked collar, which was heavily embroidered to resemble flames. Tied knots and stitches of red, orange, and gold surrounded the neckline and the hem of the dress, which was black as coal. Her dark flame-like appearance contrasted heavily with her silver hair and violet eyes, bringing more of the Targaryen out of her. Her hair had been styled into a small braided bun on each side of her head. The remaining silvery hair cascaded down her shoulders in ringlets. Taelerys wanted to represent the candle that continued to burn through the harsh winter, just as she always had for the last seventeen years.

Taelerys merely smiled, seating herself near Robb and Theon, as far away from the Usurper as acceptably possible. Robb was stunned by her appearance, as was Jon, who was forced to sit on a lower bench. "Taly, you look absolutely beautiful," Robb complimented with a radiant smile. His wavy auburn hair framed his perfect face just right. Theon raised his eyebrows momentarily at her, as if he was imagining Taelerys naked. That was something that always made Taly immensely annoyed and uncomfortable. Her trail of thoughts ended with Arya squeezing herself between Theon and Taelerys, nearly slamming her metal plate onto the table. Theon shot an irritated glance at Arya, who was forced to scoot over. "Excuse you," Theon said, in a scolding tone.

Arya didn't even glance at him, picking up her bread roll. "You're excused." she replied curtly. Taelerys began laughing while Theon gritted his teeth. Already she was starting to enjoy the celebration. A plate of food was placed in front of her, leading Taelerys to look up to see who did that. Immediately, a grin formed on her face once she saw Jon, clad in his usually black leather clothing, his curly raven hair and grey eyes. A warm smile on his lips Taelerys so desperately wished to kiss. "Jon, you're here!" Taelerys nearly exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. This forced Jon to hunch over a bit. After managing to break free from her grasp, Jon stood up. He grabbed a long, white curl of Taelerys's hair, twirling it between his fingers like usually he would do with her.

"Taly, I have no words to describe how beautiful you are." Jon stated. Being quite pleased that Jon noticed that, Taelerys bit her lip with pleasure. "I think you just did." she smiled up at him. Unexpectedly, Taelerys grabbed Jon by the arm and yanked him towards her, before grabbing his neck and pushing him into a deep kiss with her. Taelerys didn't care if anyone was watching. Theon uncomfortably looked away while most of the table watched. After a moment, Taelerys withdrew from Jon, whose black eyebrows were raised with shock. Taelerys merely smiled at him innocently. Noticing that most people were staring, Jon excused himself back to the low born table, almost losing his footing along the way. When he sat back down, Jon couldn't care about his full plate of food or his surroundings. She kissed me, Jon thought, feeling his face growing hot. He couldn't get over how confident Taelerys was with herself and others. Something that would always get her into trouble, he noted. The most beautiful part of Taelerys wasn't just her appearance, but her character.

Arya was smirking heavily beside Taelerys, munching her food with her mouth open. Taelerys recognized the look on her face. "Not a word, Arya." the Targaryen warned in a grave tone, turning back to eat her food. Arya wasn't going to let Taelerys off that easily, she expected from the one person who she truly considered to be her sister. "No way, you have to tell me all the details!" Arya demanded. "When are you two getting married?"

Taelerys rolled her eyes and sipped from her wine goblet. "You sound just like Sansa," she retorted, then smirking smugly. Arya narrowed her dark eyebrows, not nearly as amused as Taelerys was at the jab. She kicked Taelerys in the leg from under the table. Taelerys let out another laugh. Arya looked behind her at the high table, plopping a fruit int her mouth. She had a disgusted look on her long face as Arya chewed with mouth open again. "Look at Sansa, completely besotted over Joffrey," Arya scoffed. "He looks like a girl."

Taelerys knudged her in the arm with a smirk. "Says the one who looks and acts like a boy."

Arya smacked Taelerys hard in the arm, who began laughing once more. The Stark child returned to her serious face. "You should marry Jon, then we'll officially be sisters. Or, at least half-sisters. Half-sister is still more than what I consider Sansa to be."

"Arya, be nice." Taelerys told her. "I think you've dragged Sansa enough for tonight."

They returned to conversing and eating their food. This wasn't as bad as Taelerys initially thought it was going to be. Eventually, the guests got over Taelerys's appearance and returned to being noisy. Taly couldn't help but glance over to the high table where the Usurper and his queen sat with their family, alongside Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn. It appeared that Lord Stark wasn't very friendly or ongoing to any of the Lannisters. Taelerys was somewhat pleased by that, Lord Stark was just as upset as she was by their involvement in the murder of her family. Seventeen years doesn't change anything.

That was when she saw them, the Usurper and his beautiful Lannister queen. Cersei Lannister looked absolutely distrusting of everyone around her, like she didn't want to be here. The Usurper was the only one having a good time, chattering about with a handmaiden, who was blushing profusely. Taelerys recognized the look on Cersei's face. It was the same look that her mother had whenever she was near her father. Their marriage was anything but happy, it looked to be the same here with the Usurper and the lioness. Cersei looked very bitter, possibly over the quarrel over him visiting the crypts for his former betrothal, Lyanna Stark.

Taelerys was certain she hadn't seen the Usurper or the Lannister queen lovingly embrace or smile at each other like Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn always did. At least Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn had a very successful and loving marriage. That was, until it came to Jon Snow.

Lady Catelyn was attempting to lighten up the mood by doing small talk with the Lannister queen. It looked like the Lannister queen was forced to socially interact with Lady Catelyn, putting on a fake smile. The only one that actually enjoyed being at the high table was Sansa who was completely enthralled by Joffrey, who enjoyed the attention he was recieving.

There was a tap on her shoulder, Taelerys turned around expecting to see Jon, but it wasn't. It was the youngest child of the king and queen, Prince Tommen Baratheon. He looked about to be the age of ten or so. Tommen had the classical Lannister look; blond hair and green eyes. He was a skinny little boy, but had plump cheeks. Unlike his older brother Joffrey, Tommen had kind eyes and a pleasant smile, his hair was also curly."My Prince, what brings you over here to the table?" Taelerys asked warmly to the young prince.

"I wanted to tell you how beautiful you look, my Lady," Tommen bashfully admitted, unable to stand still. "As did my sister, Mersei."

A confused look formed on Taelerys's face. "Mercy?" she repeated, repeated.

"It's short for Myrcella," he informed me. "M-E-R-S-E-I, she spells it just like my mother's name but with an 'M' instead of a 'C'," Tommen giggled once after saying that, before awkwardly looking away as if he spoiled all of the fun. "Sorry about that."

"There's no need to apologize," Taelerys reassured him. "You have done nothing wrong, my dear." She immediately shook her head, immediately correcting herself. "I mean, Your Highness."

Arya had been watching their interaction the entire time. She was just as impressed as Taelerys was by how kind and polite Prince Tommen seemed to be, unlike Prince Joffrey, who seemed to be rather pompous. But, Taelerys couldn't judge this boy solely based on his heritage, just like people shouldn't judge her solely based on her own. Besides, the younger prince had been very sweet to her so far. Taelerys patted on the wooden seat beside her. "Care to sit, your Highness?" she offered.

"Yes, please." Tommon timidly answered, sitting beside Taelerys and squishing Theon even further off the table. Theon cursed when he saw the new addition until he realized it was Prince Tommen. Eventually, Theon just got up and fled to another table. Taly and Arya were relieved to see the Greyjoy go. As Taelerys finished her goblet of wine, she noticed Prince Tommen just staring at her. Taelerys raised a silver eyebrow before lowering her cup. "Am I sipping too loud for ya, Goldilocks?" She asked in a teasing voice, lightly elbowing the prince in his ribs. Prince Tommen blushed before looking away from Taelerys, gripping his wet palms together.

"I, uh, wanted to see what you looked like up close," Prince Tommen confessed, rather sheepishly. He sure was a shy one from what Taelerys could tell. It only amused the former Targaryen princess.

"And why is that?" Taelerys inquired with a lighthearted tone, pouring herself another glass of wine. Prince Tommen pursed his lips together as he thought deeply about what he was going to say. "Well, the Targaryens aren't like any other mortal to walk this earth. They're beautiful, have pretty white hair and purple eyes, something that no one else has! They could also control dragons and use magic!" Prince Tommen went on. There was such excitement in his voice, like the Targaryens were a fabled fairytale.

Yes, at one point the Targaryens were all of that. But after centuries of brother-sister fucking, it seemed to take it's toll on her family line. Her grandfather Jaehaerys had once said that the gods tossed a coin to decide whether the child would be a genius or a lunatic. The Mad King was the epitome of all the bad in a Targaryen, looking gaunt and and disgusting, as well as being insanely paranoid. Because of the Dance of the Dragons, all of the dragons had died. Now, the Targaryens were nothing more than a piece of history.

A hand tapped Tommen on the shoulder, the young prince snapped his blond head around. "Myrcella!" he exclaimed. Behind him stood his older sister, Princess Myrcella, every bit as beautiful as her mother. Myrcella had her curly, shoulder length blond hair hanging lose while she wore a elaborate golden cloak with a matching animal fur. The princess smiled kindly to Taelerys. A trait she shares with her younger brother, Taelerys noted. Never seen a Lannister smile before.

"Taelerys Targaryen," Princess Myrcella greeted. "I just wanted to say how beautiful you look and I adore your dress. Did you make it yourself?"

Taelerys nodded, returning her kind smile. "Yes, I did."

"You're a wonderful seamstress!"

"Only took me twenty years," Taelerys joked, the two of them giggling afterwards. "You look just as lovely, Your Highness."

The princess blushed badly, before straightening out her dress. "Thank you, I wish I had your hair though," Princess Myrcella sighed, her emerald eyes then lit up. "Oh, my mother and father want to meet you."

Arya immediately eyed Taelerys without looking, feeling nothing but sympathy for her. Tommen was still munching on a piece of chicken. He was confused by the pale look on Taelerys's face. Those children must not have known what Taelerys had gone through. Of course they wouldn't, it was a bedtime story you told to your children, Taelerys told herself. She knew that if the Usurper did tell them, it was probably contribed to make the Usurper look like the hero. Now, that fat whoremonger wanted to start trouble with her. The last thing Taelerys wanted to do was meet the killers of her family.

"My lady?" Princess Myrcella then asked.

Taelerys blinked her amythest eyes momentarily, before giving a fake smile. "I would love to," she lied, before Tommen stepped out from the bench. With more room, Taelerys swung her legs over the bench and stood up. Arya sent Taelerys a sympathetic look as she headed to the high table. Taelerys glanced over to Lord Stark, hoping he could rescue her from this. Taelerys passed by Sansa and Joffrey, who were laughing joyfully until they saw her. Both of them stared immensely at Taelerys before whispering to each other. The color drained from Lord Stark's face when Taelerys emerged in between Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen.

"Rob..." Ned began, using his nickname for the fat fucker.

"I only want a look at the girl, Ned," the Usurper stated roughly, lowering the leg of chicken from his heavily bearded mouth. "I ain't gonna hurt her."

Taelerys felt as if her legs would give out at any second. Kill the Targaryen brat! His voice boomed throughout her head. Back then, the Usurper had been a rather handsome and strong looking chap. Robert Baratheon had black hair, blue eyes, and broud shoulders with great muscles. Now, the Usurper had been reduced to an overweight and bearded fat man with food and wine staining his beard. The only thing that remained the same were his dead eyes.

"Well, there you are, let's have a look at you. What is your name again, girl?" the Usurper demanded, taking a long gulp from his goblet.

Taelerys wanted to pick up that knife right beside it and jab it into his fat neck. She thought of him everyday and knew his name, but the Usurper had forgotten hers. Taelerys would make him know her name.

Fire and blood, she reminded herself.

Taelerys stood tall and swallowed once with pride before responding. "Taelerys Targaryen, Your Grace," she replied in a strong tone. The Usurper slowly nodded his fat face. Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn, who sat on either side of the Usurper and his queen, were very nervous for the woman they considered to be their daughter. Lord Stark hoped that Robert wouldn't make a scene in front of the hall, let alone, his own children.

"And how old are you, girl?"

"Twenty and four, Your Grace." Taelerys answered, her voice as confident as before.

"You sure are a beauty, I will give you that," the Usurper commended roughly. "You don't look too much like your mother though."

That made her heart sink, Taelerys despised how such she was said to resemble her father. Especially because her mother Rhaella Targaryen was so beautiful. Taelerys only remembered her father in his last years as only being grotesque and grisly. It was said that in his youth, Aerys II Targaryen was actually very handsome. Rhaegar looked almost exactly like their mother, while Taelerys and Viserys did not. That was when Taelerys horrifically asked if she and Viserys took after their father then, and if that meant that they too would become as monstrous as him. Taelerys only remembered her mother's tears.

Taelerys looked at the wood floor when answering. "My mother told me that I looked like my father in his younger years," Taelerys worded carefully. "Before the madness overtook him."

There was a long pause from the Usurper, who drank in her words along with his wine. Lord Stark, Lady Catelyn, and Queen Cersei awaited his reaction, as did Taelerys. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen merely looked to each other with confusion. "At least you don't look like Rhaegar." the Usurper stated.

"Rhaegar took after my mother," Taelerys interjected quietly.

"And your father as well, apparently," the Usurper growled bitterly. "He kidnapped, raped, and murder my betrothed."

"Robert," Ned warned him. "We don't need to discuss this here."

"Quiet, Ned," the Usurper spat at his old friend.

The queen placed a comforting hand on top of the Usurper's fat one. "The children are listening, my love," Queen Cersei gently reminded him, before turning to the young prince and princess. "Myrcella, Tommen, return to your proper seats at the table."

The two children looked disappointed before doing as their mother commanded. The Usurper shot Queen Cersei a look before quickly withdrawing his hand from her grip. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Taelerys.

You killed Rhaegar and your Lannister wife's brother murdered my father. That was enough. Elia and her children didn't deserve to die, my pregnant mother didn't deserve to have to flee for her life with Viserys, my mother didn't deserve to die, and I didn't deserve to be seperated from Viserys and never get to meet my baby sister, Taelerys listed to herself. None of us deserved this, and yet you blame us.

"We all suffered because of my father and brother, I have no love for them or for what they did," Taelerys carefully worded to the Usurper. "No one came out of the war unscathed, including their own remaining family."

He didn't respond to my words, his blue eyes solely on me. That made Taelerys even more nervous, sweat forming under her arm pits. She hoped that it didn't make her stink. But, it already looked like Taelerys did smell bad. The Usurper sat in his large chair deep in thought, before taking a swig of wine. "You have Ned to thank for your life, girl," the Usurper told her, as if Taly needed reminding, "He has the soft heart of a woman, you know."

The Usurper chuckled loudly from that. Lord Stark awkwardly smiled, trying to lighten up the mood. "I assure you, Taelerys is nothing like Aerys Targaryen. She is like my firstborn daughter."

The Usurper sighed after another gulp of red wine. "The gods be good because we both know what would happen if she wasn't," the Usurper guffawed loudly as if it were funny. Yet, only moments ago, the Usurper had been bitter and sentimental towards Taelerys.

Taelerys could feel her blood run hot with anger. Lord Stark looked to his old friend with disapproval, as did Queen Cersei and Lady Catelyn, before sending Taelerys a supportive glance. She gratiously smiled back at her lord, knowing that they would make it through this. That didn't stop her from gripping her hand to the bone.

"I must say, Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen are the most polite and gentle children I've come across in a long time," Taelerys then said, changing the subject. "Not to mention, very beautiful children, like their queen mother. You've raised them well, Your Graces."

The Usurper grunted through guzziling the rest of his wine from his golden goblet, before burping rather loudly afterwards. It didn't look like the Usurper didn't care about Taelerys's compliment. Queen Cersei looked to her king husband with a disappointed look on her face, before smiling up at Taelerys. "Thank you, girl," Queen Cersei replied. "When Taelerys weds Robb and you marry Sansa, the two of you will be brother and sister. One big happy family."

From the bored tone of Queen Cersei, she certainly didn't sound happy. Lady Catelyn looked a little overwhelmed by what had been said. The Usurper grumbled before getting out of his chair. "Won't that be exciting..." he mumbled under his breath, walking down the table strip. Each step of the Usurper sounded like thunder and lightning striking. The Usurper ordered the orchestra to play a more aggressive song as he wanted to dance with a pretty servant girl.

"Lord Stark, may I be excused?" Taelerys politely asked, not wanting to spend the rest of the night near the Usurper. "I'm rather tired."

"Yes," Lord Stark replied, eyeing her understandingly. They both knew why she wanted to leave. Lady Catelyn frowned when she saw Arya throw a spoonful of food at Sansa. "And would you mind taking Arya too?" Lady Catelyn added.

Taelerys nodded before curtsying to the queen and bidding them all goodbye. She couldn't help but smirk when she saw the beef stew splatted against Sansa's pretty face. Sansa looked absolutely mortified while Joffrey was actually laughing. Arya smiled to herself, pleased with her work. Taelerys walked up behind Arya, picking her up and lifting her out of her seat. "Alright, time for bed, you troublemaker." Taly sighed.

Arya groaned with dismay as she was led by Taelerys to her room.

* * *

Taelerys blocked all of Jon's attacks, merely batting his sword away like it was a fly. They were fighting out in the stables with dull blades that was used for practice. She was out of her dress and fancy hairstyle, now wearing a brown leather shirt and pants. Taelerys remembered what Ser Rodrick as well as Jon and Robb had taught her. Keep calm, don't tense up or you'll die, stay balanced, access with care, and strike when necessary.

Jon stepped back once he couldn't slash his way past her defense, Taelerys was good at dodging. She noticed him breathing a little harder. "You fight like Sansa," Taelerys teased.

His facial expression changed and that was when Taelerys knew she had offended him. Jon then charged at me with his sword raised. She parried the attack, moving the sword in a circular motion and forcing Jon to drop his sword. Taelerys then proudly held the dull sword to his neck. "I win again," she beamed at him.

"I was taking it easy on you," Jon defended himself. He didn't smile or congratulate her like he had in the past. Instead, Jon kicked the sword that was on the ground and approached the test dummy. Taelerys felt the happiness dissipate from her. "What is it, Jon?" she asked. "You're not seriously upset over this are you?"

"You're a better swordsman than I am," Jon admitted, his voice hard.

"I only learned from the best," she told him, in an attempt to cheer him up. It didn't work. His back was facing her all I could see was his black curly hair.

"I'm joining the Night's Watch, Taelerys. I have to be strong." Jon stated. "And I'm getting my ass kicked by a girl."

Taelerys sighed, tossing the other sword before sitting next to him by the stables. "I guess there's no point in me learning though, it's not like I'm going out to the battlefield anytime soon. I'm a prisoner here."

It almost sounded like she was apologizing.

"Being a bastard is as much as being a prisoner, Taly," Jon sighed. "But, even you will have a better life than me. When you marry Robb..."

"No, it's not. I can't go anywhere. You can. You can do anything. I'm a prisoner to Winterfell," Taelerys ranted. "I'm going to rot out here for the rest of my life while you fight wildings at the Night Watch. I won't even have you here anymore."

* * *

**Reviews and Responses**

_Fear: Really? The Targ and the bastard Snow? This story only exist like one million times. And sorry to burst your bubble, but quite frankly people in this time didnt fall in love with a bastard. (perhaps one in ten million, and even then they will never be together)_

Me: So shallow lol...

_Angel of Change: I was wondering in your A Dragon of Fire and Ice piece is Taelerys going to be paired with someone?_

Me: The story isn't specifically OC x GoT character. While it is focused on her journey to surviving the war and becoming...whatever she wants, won't say yet ;D love will definitely have a part in it.

_LiumD: What's with changing Daenerys's name? Doesn't seem to actually have any point._

Me: I didn't change Daenerys's name...this story isn't about Daenerys...

And a big thank you to the other reviewers who have enjoyed this story so far, it means a lot to me :)


	5. Paths Diverge

Taelerys watched from the sill as the boys were practicing sword fighting in the yard. Apparently, the Stark brothers were sparring with the two young princes. Taelerys wanted to see Robb put the gallant prince in his place, right on his ass in the mud. She was inside the armory where the window gave full view of the whole yard.

She felt something nipping at my pant leg. Taelerys looked down to see a pair of golden eyes staring back into mine. It was Nymeria, who was busy sniffing at her feet like most wolves or dogs usually did. If Nymeria was near, that certainly meant that Arya was too. The dark haired girl ran into the room and plopped herself beside Taelerys. "Did I miss anything?" Arya asked excitedly.

"Other than Septa Mordane's sewing lessons? No." Taelerys bluntly answered.

Arya stuck her tongue out at her in turn. "Good, I wanted to see Robb fight the prince."

Taelerys beckoned to her and Arya climbed up on the window to sit beside her. They both watched as a chorus of thuds and grunts were raining down below. To their disappointment, Bran and Tommen were up against each other. Both so heavily padded up that their movements were sluggish and frequently missed. Their wooden sword movements consisted of up, down, up, up, down, down, up, and was so easily predictable. Ser Rodrick Cassell had his watchful eye upon them alongside his own men. About a dozen spectators, men and boys, calling out in encouragement for the prince and Stark. Robb's voice was the loudest while Theon said nothing, who had a look of contempt on his face. Joffrey fit in right with him.

After Tommen gave up, being too tired to fight, the so called 'battle' was yielded. Tommen was a good sport and shook hands with Bran. Then, Robb stepped forward, already sweaty and dirty from a previous bout. "Hey, Prince Joffrey, will you go another round?" Robb asked, eagerly.

Joffrey looked at him with boredom. His hand pompously clung to his sword. "I don't play children's games, Stark."

Theon chuckled once. "You are a child,"

"I am a prince and I grow tired of hitting Starks with a play sword."

"You are a prince who is a child," Robb then said. "And you got more hits than you gave, Joff."

"What's the matter? You 'fraid, Your Highness?" Theon added with a smirk on his face.

Prince Joffrey laughed a few times. "Oh, I'm trembling like a little leaf," he mocked. "You're older and not even allowed to carry a sword, how sad." Some of the Lannister men laughed. Taelerys looked down at the scene with a frown. "He's only allowed a sword because he's the prince," she sniffed. "I bet he doesn't even know how to use it."

"Joffrey truly is a piece of direwolf dung," Arya added. "Even Sansa could easily disarm him."

After Joffrey and Robb continued to argue, the crown prince took his leave on the excuse that he 'didn't play children's games'. Theon nearly had to restrain Robb from attacking Joffrey while Jon had observed the situation quietly. Being a bastard, Jon wasn't allowed to partake in order to not insult the Baratheons.

Taelerys got down from the window sill and stroked Nymeria behind her ears, who had been patiently sitting below. "You better get back to your room before Septa Mordane catches you," she warned her, before grinning. "Otherwise, you'll be sewing all throughout winter."

Arya didn't find her joke nearly as amusing as Taelerys did. When they turned the corner, Septa Mordane and Catelyn were standing there, both looking very cross. "You will by the time I'm through with you," Catelyn said in a low voice. Arya let out a long groan, knowing she was in huge trouble. Catelyn grabbed Arya by her arm and berated her on the way to her room. Before I could leave, Septa Mordane approached Taelerys. "Have you seen Bran?" she asked.

"He left after his fight against Prince Tommen, probably went climbing again as usual." Taelerys answered.

The Septa sighed, clearly annoyed. "Would you mind trying to find him? One of these days, he's going to fall off a roof."

"That'll be a day we never see, good Septa. Bran is a very good climber," she assured the Septa. "But, yes, I will go find him for you."

"Thank you, Taelerys." the Septa bowed, before leaving the armory to join Catelyn in scolding Arya once again. Arya really knew how to get into trouble. She smiled to herself, Arya reminded Taelerys a lot of myself when she was younger. Always having a knack for adventure and discovery, Taly enjoyed finding all the secret passages of the Red Keep. Only she paid the price with wildfire. Taelerys looked to her left hand where she had been burned with wildfire. No scars, or any trace that Taly had been burned at all. There was no way any ordinary mortal could live through wildfire.

Ordinary.

There was suddenly a pained howl sounded in the distance. Taly immediately had a bad feeling about it, she didn't know why. It came from one of the Stark direwolves. She made her way around the great maze of Winterfell to find which damn mutt was making that noise, as well as finding out why. Taelerys heard panting and around the corner came Bran's unnamed brown direwolf. He was acting wildly, jumping up and down against Taly. "Stop that!" she exclaimed, before grasping the wolf by his muzzle. The same golden eyes he shared with his sister Nymeria gouged into hers. The unnamed direwolf whimpered once, before galloping away. Taelerys felt that the direwolf was trying to lead her to something.

Or someone.

Taelerys followed the wolf as best as I could, only it was hard to run in the dress she was wearing. The wolf ran into an open field of grass just outside the fort. A cold and ominous wind blew through Taelerys, adding to the dread she felt.

When she turned that corner, it was what Taelerys had feared. Bran was lying motionless on the ground. A small trickle of blood forming beside his head. His direwolf continued to howl beside him.

Bran had fallen from one of the watchtowers.

* * *

Catelyn was absolutely distraught upon seeing her fallen son. She had covered her mouth and let out the most horrific scream, before sinking to her knees. Lord Stark knelt beside his wife and held her in his arms as they took Bran away on a stretcher. Things hadn't been the same since then. Winterfell was shaken by Bran's fall and had a hard time staying organized as before. The Usurper was waiting on Lord Stark's answer on whether or not he would become his Hand, even the possible death of his own son. It disgusted Taelerys to overhear the Usurper tell his son Joffrey that the boy was better off dead. That wasn't the only problem Taelerys had to deal with.

She was shaken awake from her slumber. It was already difficult for Taelerys to sleep under such stress, now someone had to wake her? She grumbled once, pulling the pillow over her messy head of white hair. "Go away," she growled.

The pillow was quickly was ripped away from her. "Taly, get up!" exclaimed Arya.

_Why did Arya have to wake me up?_ Taly thought groggily. _Isn't she always the one sleeping in late?_

"Ugh, what?" Taly groaned, shifting around in her feathered bed. _This had better be good._

"Get up! It's urgent!"

"What?"

"Father and the king are talking about your brother and sister!"

That was when Taelerys was immediately awake. Her eyes flew open as she shifted around under the covers to face Arya. "Viserys and Daenerys?" she inquired. "What about her?"

After the fall of the Targaryens, my pregnant mother fled to Dragonstone with my twin. That was before Stannis had arrived to claim the ancient Targaryen home as well as to the Rhaella and Viserys. All that Taly had heard from Lord Stark was that they had fled to Essos, greatly relieving her. Then, when she was twelve years old, Taelerys learned that she had a younger sister who was born six months after Robert's Rebellion. Her name was Daenerys Targaryen, also called the Stormborn since she was born in the middle of a raging storm. The same storm that took the life of our beloved mother. She remembered breaking down in tears upon hearing this. Lord Stark hid this news from her for nearly five years to spare Taelerys more pain. To her, it was even more torture. Taelerys just wanted to feel all the pain at once and forget about. Now, it was something that always haunted her dreams.

_I never got to say goodbye..._

Taelerys instantly lunged out of bed and rushed out of the room with Arya, still wearing her white nightgown. She ignored all of the glances and stares she got while running through the wet dirt and grass. It was freezing and dirty, but Taelerys didn't care.

She had to know what Viserys and Daenerys were up to. The two girls climbed the side of the stables and sped across the tiled roof. They had to be careful not to be seen, only days ago had Bran fallen. Arya and Taelerys carefully made our way to the chambers where the Usurper was staying. Both of them hide underneath the window sill just outside. It wasn't hard not to hear the Usurper with his angry and booming voice.

"I don't see how Daenerys marrying some Dothraki warlord is of any concern," Taelerys heard the voice of her lord savior say. The Usurper let out a loud snort. "Let me send them a wedding gift, a sharp knife and a man to wield it."

Taelerys swore that the Usurper was more mad than my father was for his hatred of the Targaryens. She would never forget the first words that day in King's Landing when it fell. The Usurper and Lord Stark argued over the deaths of Elia and her children. Their bodies bleeding and wrapped in Lannister cloaks whilst Taelerys cried loudly. The only thing the Usurper said was, _"I see no babes, only dragonspawn."_

The two men, who were like brothers, were so enraged at each other that they didn't speak until the war was over. When Lyanna Stark was declared dead. Eddard Stark had Ser Rodrik take Taelerys back to Winterfell while he rode out to the south to reclaim Storm's End. Even Jon Arryn advised the Usurper to keep her alive, merely for keeping the remaining Targaryens in line, if they ever dared set foot in Westeros again. Now, the Usurper spoke of murdering the remaining family that Taelerys had. What was worse was that she was powerless to stop them.

"Your Grace, the girl is just a child. She is innocent just like her brother and sister are," Lord Stark spoke in her defense, though she could tell that he was restraining his temper. This had always been a sensitive subject to Ned.

"And how long will this one remain an innocent?" Robert asked. "This so-called child will spread her legs and breed more dragonspawn to plague me. The Targaryen bitch you have with you is no innocent. I see the hatred gleaming in her eyes."

"You had her two cousins murdered; one stabbed half a hundred times and the other dashed against a wall to a bloody pulp. You had the mother Elia Martell watch her babes die in front of her before being raped by Gregor Clegane and put to the sword," Ned hissed. "Do you expect Taelerys to like you?"

"Damn it, Ned! Who's side are you on?" the Usurper shouted. "Aerys had your lord father burned alive by wildfire and your brother Brandon strangled to death by his own hand! Rhaegar raped Lyanna thousands of times! Those monsters deserved what they got! How can you sit there defending them?"

His voice had grown so loud that Arya almost fell off the side of the roof. Taelerys caught Arya by her arm and pulled her up close as they continued to listen in. She was pleased that her lord didn't back down for a single moment, even if the Usurper was his best friend _and_ the king. "That doesn't mean you lower yourself to the same level of treachery as they did!" the Stark shouted back. _"That makes you no better than the Targaryens!"_

_"How dare you!"_ roared the Usurper.

They continued to listen to them literally screaming at each other for minutes on end until they somehow managed to calm down. Arya shook her head. "It's a wonder why the king wants father as his Hand," she whispered. "They don't even get along."

Taelerys raised a finger to her lips in an effort to get Arya to remain quiet.

"The Begger King is no innocent either, look at the note he's sent us. He sold his own sister like cattle for an army of Dothraki from this Khal Drogo. There are still traitors in the Seven Kingdoms who call me the Usurper, including the Targaryen bitch you have here. Do you forgot how many houses fought for the Targaryens in the war? If the Begger King crosses the Narrow Sea with this horde of savages, you can guarantee they'll join him. That Targaryen whore you have here will drop you like a hot tomato. And look, it says here that the Begger King will allow you to take the black for taking in Taelerys. Ain't that sweet of 'im?"

"The Dothraki will not cross," Ned promised him. "The Dothraki hate and fear the open sea, even a million of them are no threat to the kingdom. Nor is Taelerys."

"And if they do by some mischance? What then, Ned?" the Usurper asked, his deep voice now calm. "We still let them live?"

"We have Taelerys as a hostage,"

The Usurper chuckled. "I still think she's better off dead,"

"I disagree, Your Grace," replied Ned. "If we associated every crime committed with the criminal's family, everyone in Westeros would be guilty, Robert."

"All Targaryens are guilty." the Usurper growled.

They continued to bicker while Taelerys remained deep in thought. So, Daenerys had gotten married to a Dothraki, and she was seven years younger. _Viserys seriously sold their own sister to a savage?_ Taelerys thought to herself. _If it comes to war, I won't allow him to hurt the Starks._

Taelerys still remained innocent and unmarried. Now, with that Dothraki army, her siblings could easily conquer Westeros. Taelerys secretly hoped that they would. And like the Usurper said, there were still houses like the Martells and the Forresters who sought revenge against the Lannisters and Baratheons. Taelerys would hope and pray for her twin and younger sister to safely return to the Seven Kingdoms with his army of Dothraki, then they would rule together as King and Queen, like it was always meant to be. Then, she would also get to meet her younger sister, Daenerys.

Maybe Jon and her weren't meant for each other after all...yet Taelerys loved him.

Taelerys smiled once at the thought. The two men continuing to debate before exiting the room, the door slamming loudly behind them. "Taly?" Arya asked, puzzled by her smile. "Are you okay?"

She snapped out of her daze. "I'm fine," Taelerys reassured her. "Just thinking."

Before anymore could be said, they both heard the shrill voice of Septa Mordane down below. "Get down from there!" she shouted. They both looked to each other before climbing down. Taelerys was the only one to feel guilty, while Arya was the only one who never felt remorse. When Taelerys reached the bottom, she leaped down feet first onto the muddy ground. She nearly collapsed once reaching the bottom. About a ten feet jump. Her feet ached from the abrupt impact, but Taelerys knew nothing was broken. Arya had a little more trouble getting down. She was stuck where she was, not being a talented climber like Bran was.

Taelerys held her arms out. "I'll catch you," she told her. "Don't worry."

With that in mind, Arya began to climb down as much as she could, only dangling from the side of the stone fortress with her hands. Arya was about ten feet above Taelerys, the lowest she could go. With a deep breath, Arya let go and fell onto Taly. Both ended up falling backwards into the dirt, grunting from the impact. When the two helped each other up, the Septa Mordane put her hands on her hips. _"Unbelievable!_ Brandon just fell off a roof a few days ago and might die, _and I find you two climbing the walls?"_ Mordane exclaimed at us. "Lady Stark shall hear about this!"

The two looked to each other, knowing they were both in trouble. At least it wasn't because they were caught eavesdropping on Lord Stark and the Usurper. Otherwise, there would've been greater consequences.

* * *

Arya and Taelerys sat at the breakfast table awaiting to get an earful from Lady Catelyn. She noticed that no one was at the breakfast table. Ever since Bran had fell, it was like Winterfell had fallen too. Everything was in chaos. All of the members were too busy helping around Winterfell and maintaining order. Or at least trying to maintain order. Taelerys had not seen Lady Catelyn these past couple of days. She was too busy crying and mourning for Bran beside his bedside. Urging her comatose son to wake up, Lady Catelyn would sleep at his bedside. Taly wondered if Lady Catelyn would come out to scold them.

Taelerys let out a sigh of tension, before collecting food on her plate for breakfast. Bread made from wheat and oats, duck sausage, a few slices of cheese, and a cup of wine to wash it all down. Arya helped herself to some food too while they waited for their punishment. The door to the empty chamber opened, instead of Lady Catelyn, there was Lord Eddard Stark and his brother dressed in black, Benjen Stark.

Taelerys immediately stood up once. "Lord Stark," I greeted with a polite bow. "Uncle Ben."

"Taly, Arya," Ned acknowledged, before sitting himself at the table alongside his brother. Ned started making small piles of food on his plate along with Ben.

"So, I hear you ladies were climbing alongside the castle." Benjen smiled, hastily eating a piece of bread. He looked a lot like his older brother, having the usual Stark features of a long face, dark hair, and grey eyes. Taelerys merely nodded with a frown.

"Beside the King's chambers," Ned added. He also was smiling. Taly nearly choked on her bread when she said that. Taelerys and Arya glanced at each other again. We were in trouble yet again. Instead of Ned yelling at her like expected, he let out a long and exhausted sigh. "Taly, whatever you heard–" Ned began.

_"–You're going to let the Usurper murder my brother and sister!"_ she cried out, jumping from her seat on the table and knocking her plate over._ "You might as well kill me right now!"_

"If you were listening you would know that is not the case," Ned replied, rather calmly, unmoved by Taelerys's outburst. She was instantly silenced and stood as still as a statue, her breathing only a shudder in the cold. Taelerys had to hold back her tears and try not to become emotional, but it was too late. Benjen sat there just chewing on the bread while watching this scene unfold, as did Arya, who was frowning with sympathy for her friend.

Taelerys calmed herself, before sitting back down in her seat. Her amethyst eyes looked into Ned's grey ones. "I swear, if my brother and sister somehow come across the Narrow Sea with that army, I won't allow them to hurt you."

"Taelerys,"

"I'm just saying," she replied. "But, could you promise me that you won't hurt them if they invade?"

"Taly," Ned then said in a stern voice. "I'm not going to waste my time on 'what if' scenarios. If it happens, we will deal with it. Right now, I need you two to behave, winter is coming and we need to be ready," explained Ned. "I don't want to see you climbing on the walls or doing anything you're not supposed to do. I'm serious this time."

_Because Lord Stark wasn't serious the other times, _Taelerys bemused in her head. Ned found it amusing how tomboyish Arya was and how she followed in Taly's stead, although Taly wasn't nearly as frustrating as his youngest daughter was.

"Hell, the only wall I'm allowed to climb is the one at the Night's Watch," Benjen then added with a chuckle.

Ned patted his younger brother on the back. "I'm sure that gets tiring though, Ben."

The two brothers looked very much alike. Ned had shoulder length black hair, some of which was pulled back, while Ben had dark brown hair. They shared the common features of high cheekbone and grey eyes. That made Jon look like Ned and Ben, something Lady Catelyn detested. Jon respected this man like his second father and so did Taelerys because of it.

Arya frowned, poking at her food. "Is Jon really going to join the Night's Watch?"

Taelerys sulked in her seat when she said that. But, found relief that Lord Stark and Uncle Benjen weren't too pleased with the prospect of it either. "Yes, he is," Ned sighed, eating a slice of cheese.

"Can't you stop him?" I begged. "I don't want him to go."

"I cannot, the boy is of age to do what he wants," Ned replied. "There is nothing I, the Lord of Winterfell, can do about it."

Benjen nudged Taelerys with his foot from under the table. "Don't worry, I'll have my eye on the boy," he assured the Targaryen. "I'll hit him with a stick if he misbehaves, okay?"

Taelerys gave him a light smile of appreciation. On the inside though, she dreaded the thought of Jon leaving her forever. He would forsake everything just to be a warrior. Jon was forsaking the very reason Taelerys wanted to exist.

_Family._

"Are you really going to be the Hand of the King?" Taelerys then asked, changing the subject.

Ned took a sip of his wine. "Yes, I am,"

"But, that means you'll go to King's Landing."

"Yes," Ned paused. "And so will you."

"What?" Taelerys nearly proclaimed. "My Lord, have you the Targaryen madness? It's too dangerous for me to be there."

"Robert is okay with you coming along," her lord then stated.

Taelerys narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "Why?"

"I convinced Robert to allow you to come to King's Landing to claim your family's possessions," answered Ned. "What remains of it at least."

She gulped after hearing this. Something wasn't right about all this.

* * *

Going to King's Landing did not sit well with Taelerys. There was no way the Usurper would allow her to have her family's belongings. All the gold, jewels, swords and such, like her father's crown probably were pawned off or kept by the Lannisters. They wouldn't let the former princess have all of that that. She was a hostage to the crown now. Taelerys knew she wasn't going to be safe on this trip. Lord Stark ought to have known that too. So, why was he potentially endangering her life then? Lord Stark was an honorable man. _He wouldn't do such a thing...would he? _The thought made Taly's throat tighten.

She was in Arya's room, neatly folding her clothes in a polished mahogany chest that reached her waist. Arya basically tossed all of her clothes and items into one messy pile. Septa Mordane was not at all happy about that. When Arya got into another argument with the Septa, ending with her running away as usual, Taelerys decided to pack for her so the little runt wouldn't get into even more trouble. To her immense surprise, Nymeria was helping Taelerys. The light grey wolf would pick up a dress or one of Arya's toys and place it on the bed. Nymeria sniffed the air and turned to see her brother, Ghost. Both siblings yelped at each other, touching noses. The snow white fur and red eyes of the albino wolf still scared Taelerys. Ghost was an outsider just like his master was.

"Taly?" the voice of Jon asked, who was standing in the doorway.

Taelerys jumped to her feet and threw her arms tight around his neck. "I was afraid you had left, I had to pack for Arya," Taelerys told Jon, smelling the icy scent of his pitch black curls. Something she would gravely miss doing, no matter how creepy it sounded.

"You're packing for Arya? It's no wonder your room is still a mess," Jon mused.

She withdrew from the embrace and stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up," Taelerys told him, causing Jon to laugh in turn. Jon shut the door behind him, pulling out a small package the size of his hand. It was wrapped in a cloth. "I got you something special before I go," Jon told her.

He unraveled the cloth and Taelerys gave a slight gasp when she say it. It was a chain bracelet with a snowflake attached to it, made out of tin. The design of the snowflake was so intricate that Taelerys couldn't believe it. "Where did you get this?" she breathed.

"I had Mikken make this just for you, and I made the mold used to make the snowflake myself. Took me _days_ to craft. But, I just wanted you to have a little farewell present. So, you don't forget me," Jon explained.

She held her wrist out for Jon to wrap the chain bracelet around it. Taly continued to marvel at it's beauty, before looking back to Jon. There was such a loving look on her face. Taking in all of his features, one last time. "There's no way I could ever forget you, Jon," Taelerys breathed. "It's beautiful."

Jon only gave a half smile, before reaching up to twirl one of Taly's silvery locks.

"Just like you," he muttered.

Taelerys loved how sweet Jon could be on her, he was always shy around the girls. Jon admired how confident Taelerys was when talking and flirting with him. It gave Jon the self-esteem to talk and flirt back with her. That was the one thing he was going to miss when joining the Night's Watch.

Taelerys.

But, Jon could never be with her. He was a bastard and despite Taelerys being the daughter of the Mad King, her name still held power. So did the name Stark, that was why Taelerys was to marry his half-brother Robb. Snow was only an anchor and wasn't a suitable last name for Taly. Jon didn't want to hurt Taly's pride, or at least, what was left of it. She was the last Targaryen in Westeros. And the Night's Watch would clear him of being a bastard. And clear him of all the glaring and glowering Jon received from Lady Catelyn. That was what Jon needed. _Or wanted,_ he thought to himself. _Is that selfish?_

Taelerys smiled back at Jon, both being sad at the prospect of having to leave each other. It tore Taly in two knowing that she couldn't be with the one she loved. Instead, she would be married to Robb in a loveless relationship. Jon and Taly's eyes melted into each other before moving into a deep kiss. Nothing else mattered to them at this moment. She had her delicate hands around Jon's neck while his gripped her small waist. Taly ran her fingers through his black curls, which was soft and surprisingly not very messy. That made Jon feel even more heat down near his abdomen. He wanted Taelerys to reach lower, but had to constantly remind himself not to let it go further. No matter how much Jon wanted it.

This would be the only time Taelerys and Jon could ever be together before he took his vows. Her hands slowly made their way to Jon's leather shirt, where Taelerys started pulling at the strings. Jon was very much aware of this and had his calloused hands stop hers. Jon withdrew from their breathless kiss. "Taelerys," Jon said in a warning tone.

"What?" Taelerys asked, trying to feign innocence.

"You know I can't,"

"Can't what?"

"I can't bed you, you know that."

Taelerys pressed myself against Jon, withholding her frustrations but showing affection. He loved how violet her eyes were. No one in all of Westeros had those eyes, or her beautiful silvery hair. Jon wanted nothing more than to pleasure himself with her, and have Taelerys pleasure herself with him. To be with her and be the one before the Old Gods or the New. He imagined her moaning his name into her ear on their wedding night. That was the closest he would ever get to that dream.

Taelerys looked disappointed, holding her distraught inside. "Why not? Don't you like me?"

TShe smiled up at him before leaning against his toned chest. Jon rest his chin Jon exhaled through his nose, running fingers through her long hair before lightly smiled. "Of course I do, Taly. Believe me, I want to give it to you. I want to _so_ badly right now. But, I just can't risk it," His lips trembling when he said those words. "I know what it's like to be a bastard and it's not something I want another child to go through."

She smiled up at him before leaning against his toned chest. Jon rest his chin on top of Taly's head, as if he were standing on a snowy peak. "We'd be the perfect fit, the daughter of deranged king and a bastard of a noble house," Taelerys glanced up at him with only adoration in her eyes. "I would be proud to have your bastard than a baseborn son with Robb. Nothing would make me happier than that."

While her statement did fill him up with pride, Jon didn't want to get in between Taelerys and Robb's destiny. Robb was his brother and he loved Taelerys. Jon could never take it upon himself to hurt them. That didn't mean it was easy for Jon. At least at the Wall, he wouldn't have to see Taelerys or Robb get married and have children before growing old together. That was the main reason he wanted to join the Night's Watch. He couldn't stand to see it and hoped his heart would close to the winds of winter. "It will never be like that and there's nothing I can do about it," Jon answered honestly. Taly held back her tears, instead closing her eyes and treasuring the moment as their last. Jon rest his cheek against Taly's head. "Just know that you would be the only woman I ever loved."

While in Jon's arms, Taelerys glanced at the snowflake bracelet on her wrist. The snowflake would remind her exactly of that.

_I am not allowed to live my own dreams,_ Taelerys thought. _Yet, Jon, a bastard, can._

* * *

_**Reviews and Responses**_

_LiumD: Tagged as Dany and not OC on your char list, has the exact same backstory as Dany pretty much. I changed your "oc" name to Dany with a word changing program and to my utter lack of surprise, it didn't affect the narrative in any way, in fact it made more sense. Not sure why you've made a character nigh-identical to an existing one, especially considering it served no real purpose._

Me: Oh...I had Daenerys tagged because she is going to appear later in the story. I don't see an OC button anywhere. So I just put it in the description. Personally, I don't really like Daenerys because she is a little delusional and naive. Their backgrounds aren't the same. Taelerys was raised in the Seven Kingdoms and was there to experience the loss of her family. Daenerys does/did not. She was born after the rebellion and raised in Essos, she has no idea what Westeros or what her family outside of Viserys was like. So, I don't see them being nigh-identical. I see them more as opposites. Taelerys has these experiences and while Daenerys is ignorant.


	6. Aegon's Vault

Taelerys was roughly shaken awake and looked up to see Jory. "Your presence is required with Lord Stark and the king, Taly."

She rubbed her eyes before stumbling out of her cot. _Anything having to do with the Usurper is never good,_ Taelerys thought to herself. "I'll be out in a few minutes, Jory."

Jory nodded once before leaving the flap of the tent. On the other side of the tent lay Arya fast asleep on her own cot, bundled up with wolf fur skins and Nymeria. The direwolf briefly opened her eyes before going back to sleep. Taelerys quickly changed into a plain blue gown and her black fur cloak to keep her warm. Sliding into her grey shoes, Taly exited the tent into the cold morning. The world was grey and filled with the predawn chill.

As well as King Robert and Lord Stark, perched on two horses with a dozen kingsguard behind them. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Taelerys quickly curtsied before the Usurper. "Your Grace. My lord. Good morning to you both."

Robert had a cold expression on his face, just as cold as Winterfell. A horse was brought before Taelerys by Jory. "Get on the horse, _girl,"_ Robert ordered. His every word let out a breath of steam. "We have matters to discuss, and I want to taste the countryside. Now, _up."_

Taelerys let out a yawn as Jory helped her into the saddle. "As the king commands, Your Grace," Taelerys replied, bowing her head to him. Robert looked rather suspicious of her, wondering if this was all just an act. All Robert knew was never to trust a Targaryen. No matter how sweet or beautiful they were.

Robert looked like a huge bear on top of a black horse, wearing thick brown gloves and a heavy fur cloak with a hood. It was a wonder to Taly how the black destrier managed to carry all of the Usurper's weight. He most have weighed fifteen stone. Taelerys was riding a white mare with black spots all over her feet and behind. She named her 'Snowfire' since she was white as snow. But, Taelerys would pretend that the black spots were flames, hence the name.

_Like a Snow too,_ Taelerys remembered. _After my beloved Jon...snow and fire. Me and him._

Robert set the pace, driving his huge black horse hard as Taelerys and Ned galloped beside him, trying to keep up. Robert asked Ned a question, although the wind prevented Taly from hearing. They then rode in silence as they took off into the shaped plains dim with mist. By then, the kingsguard had fallen back a small distance, but still Robert would not slow. This was not Taly's idea of a morning. Getting woken up early after a long night of taking care of Arya in order to go horseback riding in the cold morning. _With the Usurper no less._

Dawn broke just over the hedge of the hill, and that seemed to finally stop the king. Robert was pale and left breathless from the rough ride. "Gods," he swore, laughing. "it feels good to get out and ride! I was never meant to sit in a carriage, that damnable thing always creaks and groans, just like my son Joffrey, and if that wretched thing breaks another axle, I'm going to burn it! Cersei can walk!"

_Or Cersei can burn inside of it too,_ Taelerys thought bitterly to herself.

Ned laughed alongside his friend. Although it didn't escape his notice how awkward it was for Taelerys to be there. The guard finally arrived and reined up well behind them, at the bottom of the hill. "Well, I didn't take you two out here for a joy ride," Robert sighed. "We have business to settle."

_We're near the Trident and just a few more miles away is Aegon's Vault, my family legacy and bank,_ Taelerys noted to herself. _And he's brought me along too...the person he hates the most._

Taelerys immediately felt dread when it dawned upon her the real reason the Usurper had brought her here. "Permission to speak, Your Grace?" Taelerys boldly asked.

Robert didn't look back at her as they rode. "Yes, what is it?" he grumbled, rather roughly to Taelerys.

"I was just wondering, why have I been brought out here?" Taly inquired.

Robert looked over to Ned with a surprised look. "Didn't you tell 'er?"

Ned remained silent. That was an obvious answer that he did not. Robert let out an irritated moan, before turning his horse around to face Taelerys, who reined Snowfire to stop. Robert let out a long groan before glaring at her. "We're going to Aegon's Vault," he answered. "Where you will open it for us."

Taelerys said nothing, merely staring at the hateful king. The cold wind blew harshly against them. A deeply rooted anger built up in her stomach, but Taelerys held it in, deciding to be as cool as the air. Taly couldn't help but snicker and look away momentarily. "You hate me, the first thing you said to me was 'why is that Targaryen bitch dead?', you wanted me killed along with the rest of my family," Taelerys smiled, bitterly. "And now you want me to open my family's vault, essentially my legacy, and give it to_ you?"_ She turned towards Lord Stark, who couldn't bear to look at her. "Is that why you brought me along, my lord? I thought something was wrong when you decided to bring me to King's Landing. My lord wouldn't risk my life for something that stupid...or would he?" Taelerys then questioned.

Ned looked away with guilt in his face. He knew it wasn't right of Robert to demand this of Taelerys, but this was one order that Ned couldn't defy from his king and friend. Ned also knew that Taelerys would never open the vault for Robert and that this wasn't going to end well. "Your Grace, she won't open the vault," Ned sighed. "Just forget it."

Robert swung his fat head to glare at his decided brother. "She will if I command it."

Taelerys pressed her lips into a straight line for a moment. She remembered the day King's Landing fell. Their bodies wrapped up in Lannister cloaks, the blood matching the color of the cloth. Robert's blue eyes shining with pleasure at their deaths, and flashing with rage upon learning of Taelerys's survival.

"I will not," Taelerys said defiantly.

"Yes, you will," Robert ordered with his booming voice. "Only a Targaryen can open the vault. Most of the tax money that belonged to the crown went into the vault. Tax money that belongs to the Seven Kingdoms."

"Only some of it. Most of it are just family heirlooms," explained Taelerys. "And now that my family is dead, that means that Aegon's Vault and the Targaryen legacy belongs to me. Not the crown."

Robert's fat face turned bright red. "Listen here, you little shit..." he began, before Ned pushed his horse between the two. "Enough, Rob," Ned warned him. Robert was breathing hoarsely like an angry giant. Taelerys was just as vengeful and hateful as the king was, but internalized it.

Until now.

"I will never open Aegon's Vault for you, Your Grace," Taelerys simply said, her eyes blank. "You hate me, you hate my family, you blame me for what happened seventeen years ago. I am innocent. I did nothing wrong and yet you still have this vendetta against me."

The king glowered at her. "Lyanna was innocent," he spat. "So was Lord Rickard and Brandon Stark! And all the others your delusional father and brother killed!"

"Yes! My delusional father and brother killed them!" Taelerys yelled back, holding her horse back with the reins. "Elia, Rhaenys, Aegon had no part in my father and brother's nefarious plans! Yet you had them killed anyway just to make yourself feel better! My mother and two siblings had no part in it either! Yet they were forced to flee the country for their very lives! You would've had me killed too had it not been for Lord Stark! You preach about how much of a warmonger my brother was and how Lyanna was a victim, yet you fail to recognize that you have done the exact same thing as Rhaegar did."

_"HOW DARE YOU!" _bellowed the king.

_"TAELERYS, ENOUGH!"_ Ned roared at Taelerys, silencing her and the king before they could say anymore. Robert's hatred of the Targaryens was a madness in him. Tywin Lannister had presented Robert with the corpses of Rhaegar's wife and children as a token of fealty. Ned had named that murder; Robert called it war. Not even Jon Arryn had been able to calm that storm. Eddard Stark had ridden out that very day in a cold rage, to fight the last battles of the war alone in the south. It had taken another death to reconcile them; Lyanna's death, and the grief they had shared over her passing. But, keeping the Targaryen girl alive seemed to rip their relationship apart at the seams.

Ned placed a hand on the shoulder of his friend. "Robert, please," Ned begged. "Leave the vault be. It was a legacy that was never meant to be ours."

Robert looked up once more, meeting Taelerys with his own bright blue eyes. Taelerys always imagined them red and filled with fire. She had just witnessed the fury of a Baratheon, her fiery temper being what they were famous for. After all, that was why their house words were 'Ours is the Fury'. Now, Taelerys believed.

"And I'll make sure that it will never be yours too," he hissed in a low voice, before riding off with his kingsguard.

Ned shook his head at Taelerys. "You shouldn't have talked back to him like that."

"Ned, you can't be serious. After all he asked."

"I know, child." Taelerys winced. She was an adult at this point, far from a child. Ned continued. "I know Robert won't take the high ground when it comes to you and your family, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't. Otherwise, not even I can protect you from Robert's rage."

The anger had subsided when the Usurper had left her presence, but Taelerys still felt bitter about the situation. _How dare he...how dare ask me that,_ she thought, before looking to her lord. "I will never open the vault to the Usurper or anyone," Taly declared. "I won't have him plunder my family treasure for whores and wine, no one will ever see that vault open again. If your beloved king won't let me have my treasure, than I'll see to it that it remains in Aegon's Vault for all eternity."

With that, Taelerys hit her reins a few times and urged Snowfire to go into a fierce gallop. Taelerys knew that Lord Stark would send her back to Winterfell after this. She would never get to go to King's Landing and retrieve all of her valuables hidden in the walls of the Red Keep. _But perhaps Arya could..._

* * *

The day before Taelerys was set to leave, she sat underneath a peach tree while reading a copy of _Engines of War_. It was a rare Valyrian text that was only available in Winterfell. Tyrion Lannister had pointed that out to her before leaving with Jon and Benjen to the Wall. Not to join, but only to piss off the side of the Wall. Taly was surprised that Lord Stark hadn't told her about it. Ned later said that since it was such a rare text that he didn't want to just give it away. Yet, here she was under a tree reading it out in the open. _Lord Stark is going to kill me if he found out that I took it without his permission,_ Taelerys reminded herself.

Still shaken up by yesterday's argument with the Usurper, Taelerys shut her book, frustrated that she couldn't concentrate. It had been a week since they rode on the King's Road with the Usurper and his caravan of four hundred men, in addition to Ned's household and freeriders. There were about five hundred men and women traveling together. Now, there would be onl four hundred and ninety nine men and women traveling together. Taelerys would be returning to Winterfell tomorrow. She had failed in her purpose to open Aegon's Vault for King Robert. _That Usurper was a stupid whoremongering drunk for even daring to demand that of her,_ Taelerys added.

While she was glad to get away from Winterfell, Taelerys knew that returning to King's Landing wouldn't be the same. She would not be returning as a princess of the Seven Kingdoms. Now, Taelerys was a political hostage and the child of the former ruler of the realm, who had been insane. _No wonder the Usurper was so keen on bringing me along. Stupid Aegon's Vault._

She set down the book in her side pack before leaving to go down towards the banks of the Trident, where her brother Rhaegar was rightfully slain by Robert. The sun was warm on her face and loved the way the felt the sand in between her toes. Taelerys was wearing my leather riding clothes with her steel sword at the waist.

Knowing how long and hard Taelerys had trained with Ser Rodrik and the boys, as well as the fact that Catelyn wasn't there, Ned permitted Taelerys to carry a sword. '_A Targaryen is never going to be safe in Westeros again,'_ Lord Stark had warned her. '_You need to know how to defend yourself._'

Most people stared and whispered once they saw Taelerys, a former princess and a woman, wearing leather clothing and carrying a sword. She held her head up with pride while they sneered. No matter what Taelerys did, she always knew that her presence would be scorned.

Taelerys inhaled the sweet watery scent of the river. At one time, it was covered in her brother's blood. She could only imagine the smell of blood and battle in the air. Now, myth had it that when the Usurper hacked his battle axe into her brother Rhaegar's armor, that all of the rubies from his armor sprayed across the Trident. No one had found a single ruby though. Taelerys's thoughts were interrupted when she heard chattering from down the Trident. She curiously walked down the river to see who it was.

There, Taelerys found Arya trying to comb the dried mud from Nymeria's fur. Mycah was chuckling over Arya's failed attempts to comb her untamed animal. He was about a year older than Arya. Mycah was chubby, with red hair and pimples, the son of the butcher and his wife that were accompanying the Starks to King's Landing. Nymeria looked utterly miserable. As usual, Arya was wearing the same filthy riding clothes she had worn yesterday and the day before. Her long, brown hair in a messy braided bun.

"Shouldn't you be wearing something pretty? Septa Mordane told me that you and Sansa are going to the queen's wheelhouse to visit the Queen and Princess Myrcella," Taelerys teased with a smug smile on her face. She knew right away that Arya wasn't at all interested, but telling her that made it more amusing to her. Arya scrunched up her face with disgust.

"Shut up!" Arya snapped. "I'm not wasting my time with stupid Sansa or the Queen! I want to go on an adventure!"

At that moment, Nymeria escaped from Arya's clutch and quickly bound into the woods. Mycah and Taelerys started laughing while Arya swore and threw the comb down to the grass. "There's your adventure, trying to get your wolf back!" Taelerys laughed gleefully.

"I hope we haven't offended you, Milady," Mycah then apologized, bowing his head to her. "That was not my intent."

Taelerys raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be offended?"

"We were looking for your slain brother's rubies," Mycah admitted with a frown.

Arya shot an angry look at her friend. "Mycah! I told you not to tell her!" she hissed.

Taelerys was silent for a moment, losing all the joy from her now pale face. Mycah and Arya shot each other a worried glance at the possibility of offending her. Taelerys reminisced about her brother Rhaegar. When Taelerys and Viserys were five, Rhaegar had snuck them out of the castle on his horse and brought them to the Trident. The twins were completely mesmerized by how beautiful of a place this was. Taelerys and Viserys had never been outside for long; never to feel the grass, smell the fresh air, or swim in the river. Aerys become even more paranoid when it came to them. They were the only ones after the birth of Rhaegar to survive infancy. Their mother Rhaella had so many stillborns and miscarriages that it made their cruel father even more paranoid. Nonetheless, when Rhaegar returned late in the day with his brother and sister on horseback. Aerys was furious with his elder son. Now, that happy memory was forever crushed for Taelerys, just like Rhaegar's chest was when Robert slammed his great axe into it.

"Do what you like." Taly simply said before walking away into the mossy woods. She wanted to hike up Mount Balerion for a bit before returning to the camp. If only I could get into Aegon's Vault without the Usurper's guards there, but there was an entire town situated right at the base of the vault doors. Taelerys immediately sensed that someone was following her.

Arya and Mycah.

It wasn't hard to tell, they were as noisy as a couple of ringing cow bells. At first, Taelerys was a little irked since she wanted to be alone and reminisce about the past some more. Even if the past was troubling for her. Arya went ahead of Taelerys and started climbing rocks up the steep hill. "Are you going to Mt. Aegon?" she quickly asked. "To get the treasure?"

"No." Taelerys answered in a cold voice. The very memory of that fat oaf demanding her to open the vault making her blood boil. She did her best to calm herself as Arya was unaware of the vicious confrontation with the Usurper. Arya frowned at the one-worded answer but didn't press further, seeing how upset Taelerys was over it. Mycah ducked under a branch. "How can a mountain be filled with riches? It's just made of rock!"

"My ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, had the inside of the mountain turned into a vault," Taelerys explained as she walked, finding a dirt path that wasn't steep. "Shortly before he died, he put all of his prized possessions and vasts amounts of treasure within it."

The three of them walked in a straight line throughout the narrow path. Sometimes stepping over a mud puddle or a outgrown tree root. "How is that even possible? Wouldn't the mountain have collapsed in on itself before that happened?" Mycah questioned, almost tripping over some rocks. "You can't turn a mountain into a vault!"

"It was said that Aegon's sister-wife, Visenya, used magic to carve out the inside of the mountain while their dragons smelt Valyrian steel against the walls to prevent the mountain from caving in on itself," Taelerys answered. Although she didn't believe in magic, Taelerys and the rest of the historians didn't really have a logical explanation for the creation of Aegon's Vault.

"Wow, the Black Dread could actually melt Valyrian steel with it's fire breath?" Mycah said with awe.

"Yes, my ancestors were supposedly able to use magic back in those days. As well as control dragons. Those days are long gone though."

"That was a hell of a lot of Valyrian steel they used then," Arya pondered. "That probably makes it impossible to break into the vault too. I heard from Jeyne that the vault is cursed! Any attempt to break in, if you can melt through Valyrian steel that is, will cause the robber to die within days!"

Arya and Mycah were always amazed by these types of stories. The ones told about her family. But the only story they never talked about was Robert's Rebellion, it was strange that they were friends given that both of their families had fought a war against each other. That was personal to them even though Arya wasn't even alive at the time of the fall. She could see the pain and suffering within Taelerys. It wasn't the same as just a fairy tail. Most of it was real.

Taelerys looked up ahead at the trail, to which, her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Taly stood still in her muddy tracks, causing Arya and Mycah, who weren't paying any attention to where they were going, to bump into her back. Both of them nearly fell backwards into the ground. Arya rubbed her dirty forehead with annoyance. "Why have we stopped?" she asked.

Arya noticed how pale Taelerys had become. Her face was almost the same color as her white hair. Arya tugged on Taly's tight leather sleeve, growing more nervous with each passing second. "Taly, what's wrong?" she demanded.

Arya then looked in the direction that Taelerys had kept staring at. When Arya saw what Taelerys was looking at, she was just as confused.

"Who is that?" Arya inquired.

"Mother..." Taelerys breathed.

* * *

Taelerys couldn't even jumble her thoughts together. She was in too much shock to even contemplate what was happening before her. Who was this woman standing only a few yards away from her? Was Taelerys hallucinating? Was she going mad just like her father? Or was it really her?

The woman looked just like her mother. Fair skin, long silvery hair, and violet eyes. She wore the traditional Valyrian platinum wedding gown that most Targaryens wore when marrying their siblings.

It was Queen Rhaella Targaryen. _My mother,_ Taelerys thought.

_"Mother?"_ Mycah and Arya proclaimed together with shock. The mysterious woman said nothing whilst staring at Taelerys. She turned around and darted down the path. Taelerys immediately ran after her, she could hear Mycah and Arya yelling at me to wait and stop. Her heart pounded in her chest as Taly's breath became more hoarse. She ran across a small stream where her supposed mother had fled across, ending in a waterfall further down the mountain. Taelerys quickly climbed up the slope of slippery rocks. She wondered how that impostor was able to so quickly scale them. When Taelerys reached the top, the woman was gone.

Arya and Mycah jumped out of a thick bush before collapsing at the bottom of the steep hill of rocks. After repeatedly calling for Taelerys, they carefully climbed after their friend.

Taelerys stood there stunned with what had happened. _Impossible. This slope is a dead end and the waterfall is at least a hundred feet high,_ Taelerys noted. _There is no place to climb or hide._

"Hey, where'd she go?" Arya asked with confusion. Both she and Mycah were panting heavily when they reached the top. The chubby redhead bent over to drink from the waterfall, free of salt. Taelerys looked to both side of the small lagoon it created within the large rock. "I don't know," Taly replied. "She just disappeared."

"Maybe it was your mother's ghost?"

Taelerys frowned at that, walking towards the small side of grass and dirt along the ridge of the pool. "A stupid wet-nurse's tale," Taelerys snorted. "There are no such thing as_—_"

Immediately, the ground was no longer beneath Taelerys and she was now in free fall and in somewhere dark. She grunted loudly upon landing on the hard, concrete ground. Sharp pain shot up along her side. It caused Taelerys to temporarily not be able to breathe. _I must have fallen twelve feet or so._

Arya cried out her name several times before Taelerys was able to answer. "I'm here!" Taelerys grunted, before moaning loudly in pain. The Targaryen rolled onto her back to look back up from where she had fallen. The only source of light was the hole that Taelerys fell through. Arya and Mycah peered down into the hole, able to glimpse their fallen friend. Some of the dirt was falling onto Taelerys, forcing her to cover her face as to not get dirt in her eyes.

"We'll go get help!" Mycah shouted into the hole.

Instantly, there was light all around Taelerys. She looked all around her brightly lit surroundings. She was in some sort of underground tunnel with torches mounted on the walls. _How did these torches light themselves?_ Taelerys asked herself, before sitting up in the dirt tunnel. Before she knew it, Arya plopped down into the tunnel beside her. Arya was lucky she didn't break her ankles.

"Arya!" Mycah called after her in a scolding manner.

"Whoa, what is this place?" Arya asked with a look of wonder on her face. Arya was not at all phased by how strange and creepy this place was, given what had happened just moments before. Arya sat down to softly rub her sore ankles from the jump. Taelerys was already sore from the unexpected fall.

Reluctantly, Mycah climbed into the tunnel, dangling from ten feet before letting go and landing on his feet.

"I have no idea." Taelerys responded, grabbing a torch and looking both ways of the tunnel. The right side of the tunnel was completely caved in with dirt and rocks. The left side wasn't and seemed to lead into the mountain. "Our only way out might be through the opposite end." Arya pointed out.

"Or we could give each other a boost out of the hole and tell your father, Arya." Mycah suggested.

Arya shook her head. "No way, I want to explore this place!"

"It could be very dangerous! The torches lit themselves and we might have seen a ghost, who knows what other weird things could happen here!" Mycah argued.

"No." Taelerys then spoke in a stern tone. "I'm meant to be down here. My mother led me here."

Arya frowned before shrugging. "Well, _someone_ did."

_Someone did._

Those words sent a shiver down Taelerys's spine. Nonetheless, she was going to find out what was at the end of this tunnel. Taelerys hoped it was only good. "Either way, I don't want Lord Stark or the Usurper to find out about this place until we figure out what it is ourselves," Taelerys explained. "Don't worry, I am good with a sword, and I will protect you if anything goes array."

Although Taelerys doubt that she could. She had never been in a real fight aside from training with Jon and the other boys. If a skeleton empowered by magic were to fight her, Taly knew she would be fucked. She knew this was beyond a bad idea but felt enticed to find out where this tunnel led. Arya's face immediately lit up as skipped excitedly down the tunnel. Mycah, on the other hand, stood fearfully beside Taelerys. That wasn't enough to convince the butcher's boy. The tunnel was still a little dim even with all the torches lighting themselves up as they moved along. It wasn't the same as having the protection of daylight. The darkness made Taelerys feel trapped.

"Arya, stay close!" I hollered. "And don't touch the torches!"

Arya ignored Taelerys and ran down towards the end of the tunnel. Taelerys dreaded what was at the end, especially since it was so hard to see. Fear nearly paralyzed her at the thought of something bad happening.

_Lord Stark is going to kill me if something happens to Arya,_ Taelerys thought nervously.

"Taly!" Arya yelled, her voice a loud echo. "There's something here!"

As Taelerys and Mycah cautiously drew closer to the end of the dimly lit hall, a huge vault door became more clear to them. Arya was standing before it, impatiently waiting for them. I approached with caution to further examine it. The vault door was made of Valyrian steel with a huge three headed dragon engraved on the front. The Targaryen sigil. _Just like the one at the main entrance of Aegon's Vault,_ Taelerys thought. She didn't know that secret passageways had been built into the vault, but it didn't surprise her. Maegor the Cruel had secret passageways installed in the Red Keep, then cleverly killed the artitects so know one would know of them. Although a few had been discovered, including a couple by Taelerys, most of these secret passageways had been forgotten and lost._  
_

"This is it," Taelerys breathed, taking a step back. "This is Aegon's Vault."

"Amazing, so there are other ways to get into the vault!" Arya smiled with excitement, before making a puzzled look. "So, how do we open it?"

"Only a true dragon," Taelerys answered. "Not just any Targaryen could open it. Only a select few could like my brother Rhaegar. They must recite the Targaryen motto 'Fire and Blood' in High Valyrian and if they are a true Targaryen, the vault will open."

"Then say the words," Arya impatiently told her.

"Rhaegar was the last dragon. If I fail to open this vault, great misfortune will be bestowed upon me." Taelerys didn't really want to risk her own life to open the vault. She had heard of the numerous deaths that this vault had caused to attempted thieves and intruders, including Targaryen members. Taelerys remembered them to violent and mysterious, the most famous being over a hundred years ago when Vahaedar Targaryen attempted to open the vault. It was only days later that he became stricken with the 'Targaryen madness' as they now called it. He was paranoid and plagued with nightmares of ravens pecking his eyes out. Shortly afterwards, his dreams came true as servants came in to find dead birds lying across the room and Vahaedar with two bloodied sockets where his eyes had been gouged out.

"Rhaegar was not the last dragon," Arya insisted, the child so fervorant in her belief. "You were meant to come here."

Reluctantly, Taelerys approached the metal door with a frown. Her throat felt very dry. The three-headed dragons' eyes were set with great, glinting rubies the size of her hand. Although she knew that it was just a piece of artwork, the eyes felt strangely alive. She had this eerie feeling like they were watching her. _They only recognize their own kin. A dragon._

Taelerys cleared her throat and for a moment, she thought she saw the red flicker in their ruby eyes.

_"Perzys anogar,"_ Taelerys hissed, in a low, faint voice. That was how the Valyrian accent was spoken, to demonstrate how intimidating and powerful Valryians were supposed to be. _Everything that I'm not._

The three of them stood there in the dimly lit tunnel for a few moments, waiting to see what would happen. Waiting to see if Taelerys would get struck by lightning or some other vicious form of death. Taelerys only prayed that Aegon's Vault hadn't cursed Arya and Mycah at least. To their shock, the ruby eyes of the three-headed dragon began to glow a vibrant red, filling the entire tunnel with its dark light. The color of blood.

Mycah clung to Taly's waist, before sinking his head into her shoulder. "The eyes! They're glowing!" he squeaked.

Taelerys was relieved to know that she wasn't going insane, that Mycah and Arya could see it too. Suddenly, the first dragon head abruptly withdrew towards its body, followed by the other two heads. It was a loud scrapping sound of rusted metal that could deafen ears. Clicks and gears loudly changed inside the vault door before it slowly swinging open by itself. Now, they were faced with darkness.

Sweat dripped down Taelerys's brow as she shakily held the torch. _What exactly have we gotten ourselves into?_


	7. Discovery and Disaster

They were standing in a secret passage way inside Mount Balerion, which sat along the line of the north and east, which held Aegon's Vault. Now, Taelerys had now opened nearly two decades later saying the words of her fallen House in High Valyrian. _The vault that could only be opened by a true Targaryen, the true dragon, which is somehow me._

The thought made Taelerys even more anxious about all of this. She gazed into the darkness within the mountain sized vault. Taking a step inside the chamber, Taelerys held the torch above her head for more light. It only gave limited range of vision around her. Taelerys needed more than a small flickering fire of a torch. _The legacy of Aegon the Conquerer, the legacy of my family,_ Taelerys thought._ Now, it's mine._

Butterflies were forming in her stomach as Taelerys stepped carefully across the brick flooring. Arya and Mycah padded closely to Taelerys, not knowing what lied ahead of them in the darkness. They didn't know whether the treasure placed inside Aegon's Vault over the centuries was truly here. Taelerys noticed something in the blackness that appeared to be an aqueduct of some sorts. Only, of course, it was a lot smaller and didn't seem to transport water. There was a trail of black powder running down the canal into the darkness. Now Taelerys knew what it was. It didn't transfer water, it transferred _fire._

Taelerys carefully lowered the torch into the vase. Immediately, the fire ate up the black powder, flames racing along the powdered trail and illuminating the inside of the mountain. The fire continued down the maze of stone channels over what seemed to be miles and miles of the vault. Over what seemed to be the treasure on fire was the treasure itself. The vault was the most enormous space that Taelerys had ever lay eyes on. So was all the treasures around her.

"Unbelievable," Mycah breathed. "There's so much gold!"

"Just a handful of this stuff would make us richer than that fat arse we call a king," Taelerys laughed with a lighthearted tone. "The entire inside of this mountain must be filled with gold and who knows what."

Arya instantly had a mischievous smile on her face. "Let's find out!" she proclaimed, flying down the stairwell to get to the treasure. Mycah was calling after her while Taelerys groaned and sprinted after the two. Arya had a knack for getting into trouble or getting hurt. Mycah only wanted to avoid such troubles, but enjoyed the adventure as much as Arya.

Gold, silver, and jewels that were every color of the rainbow filled the miles long and wide vault. Along with mountains of Gold Dragons. Taelerys couldn't spot one Silver Stag or Copper Penny. With the approval of Taelerys, Arya helped Mycah fill a small yew chest they found with some jewels and Gold Dragons for him to take home to his poor parents. How Mycah was going to do that without his parents suspecting that he stole it, Taelerys didn't know. But, the poor butcher's boy and his family deserved to make a little more money. Now, Taelerys felt bad for not being able to share this treasure with the folk at Flea Bottom. Taelerys didn't need all of this treasure to herself. Although Taelerys dare not part with family heirlooms or possessions. She didn't know what to expect from this discovery.

They continued to walk through the stacked piles of treasure. Taelerys could hear Arya and Mycah laughing from the other side of one large pile of treasure. They were sliding down the slope of gold and jewels like it was snow on a mountain. All of the Gold Dragons and gems splashed across the ground. There was something that caught her attention. A rack of scrolls. Taelerys approached with curiosity to examine the scrolls, stepping on a sharp jade in the process. Annoyed, Taelerys removed it before tossing the jade back into the pile. Her amethyst eyes widened with surprise when she realized what it was.

"These scrolls are from Valyria! Most of these texts are said to have been lost!" Taelerys excitingly exclaimed.

Arya was wearing a golden crown on her head. It was too big for her and slanted sideways across her long face. "Boring!" Arya blurted out, making Taelerys groan with irritation. Arya jumped from the relatively small hill of treasure_—_and tumbling against a large rack of swords, knocking them all over extremely loudly. Arya rolled across the floor while the weapons merely spilled across the ground. Taelerys marched towards Arya, yanking the girl to her feet by her arm.

"You're lucky those swords were pointed down, otherwise you would've landed on a pike!" scolded Taelerys, angrily. "Arya, you can't go jumping around here like a monkey, we don't know what dangers are in this mountain!"

Arya completely disregarded what Taelerys had said. It was the same old bullshit that Old Nan and her mother had told her. She picked up a dagger before pulling the blade out of its beautiful sheath. "Wow, these are amazing! Can I have one?" she asked excitedly.

Arya looked in awe of the intricate designs engraved in the hilt and pummel. Taelerys snatched the blade from her hand. "You're not listening!" she yelled, her voice echoing throughout the mountainous vault. "If anything happens to you down here, I could never forgive myself! Be careful and obey my every command or we're leaving!"

"Fine." Arya mumbled, before stumbling away to find some more treasure. _That girl never listens,_ Taelerys thought, rubbing her aching forehead with her hands. Now, she knew what it was like to be Septa Mordane and Lady Catelyn all the time.

"What should we do with the treasure?" Mycah inquired, tossing a gold plate back onto the pile.

"Well, it belongs to me now," Taelerys declared, as if she were speaking to the entire Seven Kingdoms. "And this is going to remain our little secret."

Mycah seemed disappointed. "We're going to just leave it here?"

"It's not like I can take it with me. Robert has the vault guarded by the town."

Arya had wondered off to explore more of the treasures, not a care in the world what Taelerys was doing. Taelerys picked up a jade dragon barrette, before noticing the snowflake bracelet on her wrist. She tried not to distract her thoughts with Jon Snow. It was not needed now. "For now, we'll come back another day to salvage this treasure. Just not today. I don't want the Usurper and Lannister killers spending my family's treasure on drink, whores, and war."

Mycah nodded once in agreement.

There was a loud shriek that came from Arya. Immediately, Taelerys drew her sword as Mycah jolted, being so startled by her cry. "Arya!" Taelerys cried out, running towards direction of the scream. Blade in hand. Taelerys immediately dread the absolute worst. _By the Gods, the Starks will kill me if anything happens to her! I should've just climbed out of here!_ Taelerys thought regretfully.

Taelerys and Mycah found Arya crawling backwards away from something that had obviously terrified her. Mycah was by her side, comforting her, while Taelerys had her sword drawn. She looked all around for any sign of intruders or danger. Taelerys perceived none, all was silent execpt for the soft cries of Arya.

She knelt down beside Arya, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What is it? Are you hurt?" Her voice frantic.

Taly was relieved that Arya wasn't covered in blood or lying on the ground dead. It appeared that Arya didn't seem to be physical hurt, although she looked to be quite frightened by something. Her gray eyes were filled with terror. Taelerys looked in the direction that Arya was shakily staring at.

There was a black suit of armor standing beside the oceans of Targaryen treasure. Taelerys had never seen armor like that before. She noticed that several more of these suits of armor filled the vault. It was hard to see past all of the gold and jewels as some of the flooring was disheveled too. The black suits of armor were all standing in two rows facing each other holding their swords, which touched the ground. Taelerys couldn't see exactly how many they were, as the two rows continued on into the far away distance. Taelerys guessed that the number of suits of armor reached to the very end of the mountain. That meant there could be hundreds of even thousands of these suits of armor.

"What about it?" Taelerys probed, looking back to Arya. "It's just a suit of armor."

"No, it's not!" Arya screeched. "It's alive!"

Taelerys let out a flamboyant snort while Mycah looked just as frightened as Arya. _Her imagination has no bounds,_ Taly mused to herself.

Arya then added. "The armor turned it's head towards me!"

Looking back at the suit of armor Arya pointed at, Taelerys did in fact see that the head piece was facing towards them. A sick feeling formed in her gut. It was like when Taelerys had seen the ruby eyes of the three-headed dragon on the vault door. They felt strangely alive and now Taelerys felt it here too. There was nobody inside the armor, yet they all had this feeling that someone was there. That only terrified them even more. But, Taelerys chose to stand tall and strong, despite the fact that the scent of fear was emanating from her just as badly as Arya and Mycah.

Taly stood up and drew her longsword, before carefully approaching the black suit of armor. She was waiting in anticipation for it to come to life and strike her down. Nothing terrified her more than that. Taelerys jabbed at the chest plate with her sword. The armor rattled as the noise resonated within it. Taelerys frowned as she sheathed her sword.

"The armor is hollow," Taelerys informed her. "There is no one inside it and if there was, they'd be dead by now. No one but a true Targaryen can open this vault and I reckon it hasn't been opened for the past eighteen years. Not since Rhaegar lived."

"I know what I saw!" Arya cried out, getting up and running away in tears. _Great, _Taelerys mumbled to myself. Now, Arya was going to have a hissy fit and not speak to her for a few days. Taelerys looked back to glance at the black armor once more. She wondered if there really was something ominous about it. Never had she heard of any black suits of armor being stored in Aegon's Vault.

"I don't think Arya is lying," Mycah quietly confided to Taly. "I know when she's pulling a prank and isn't. With everything we've seen today, why not believe her?"

"I never said I didn't," Taelerys replied, striding away from the mysterious black armor. While she was happy to have found Aegon's Vault, the events leading up to it were scaring Taelerys even more. Now, there were suits of armor in here that were apparently alive. Just like the very ruby eyes of the three-headed dragon on the vault door. She was too afraid of what else she would find in this mountain.

"We're leaving, I think we've had a little too much excitement for one day," Taelerys insisted in a commanding voice. "Grab what you want because we're not coming back for a _long time."_

Mycah walked over to pick up his small chest of gold to bring home to his parents. He continued to ponder about how to avoid the question of where he got the gold. Arya walked over to them with a two-handed sword in it's sheath. "I'm keeping this!" Arya declared. It was a beautiful sword, but somehow it seemed familiar to Taelerys. She narrowed her eyes upon seeing it. "Let me see it," Taelerys ordered the girl.

Arya reluctantly handed over the sword and Taelerys grasped it into her sweaty palms. The scabbard was the color of red wine, with intricate designs swirling down the sheath. She drew the blade to further examine it. It was made of Valyrian steel, she could tell by the almost ethereal look of the blade. It looked just like the blade of Ice, the Valyrian steel greatsword of House Stark. That would make the sword much lighter and much stronger than a regular sword. The pommel was set with a ruby the size and shape of an egg, with the hilt being wrapped with black leather. It had a golden curved cross guard with a dragon head on each end. The middle of the guard bore a large diamond and High Valyrian text along the guard. Taelerys had never seen a sword this beautiful in her entire life. Her eyes widened once she translated the High Valyrian inscription to herself.

"What is it?" Arya inquired, noticing Taly tense up.

"This is the long lost ancestral sword of the Targaryen house, the most famous of them all too. It belonged to Aegon the Conqueror," Taelerys explained. "The fabled sword, Blackfyre!"

Arya stood taking in what they had just discovered. After a few moments, she then asked, "So, that means I can't have it?"

Taelerys rolled her eyes before sliding the blade back into its elaborate sheath. "No, I'm afraid it does not. It is valued treasure of my house. It belongs to me."

"I want to have a sword though," Arya complained, crossing her arms.

_But, what is it doing here?_ Taelerys wondered to herself._ Aegor Rivers took this sword with him to exile to the Free Cities, where it was never seen again.__  
_

Taelerys dropped the sword that Lord Stark had given her and replaced it with Blackfyre, which now clung to the side of her waist. She wouldn't be walking around with a dusty old sword no more. Taly just had to be careful not to let anyone get a close look at it. Arya picked up the other generic bastard sword Taly had just discarded. "Can I have this one then?" she then asked.

That child asks so many questions, Taelerys frowned. Arya always wanted to be a fighter, just like Taelerys did. She knew how much that little wolf wanted to be just like her, Taly admired that. Taelerys smiled down at Arya. "You don't want that shitty little butter knife, how about a nice Valyrian sword?

"Well I never!" Arya cried out suddenly, tossing aside the sword again. It landed on the cement flooring with a loud _clang! _Taelerys looked all around her to see if she could find a better weapon for the child. A few feet away from her lay a small, slender sword trapped under some Gold Dragons. Taly walked over to pick it up before examining it closely. It was a small rapier sword, of course made of Valyrian steel. The blade had a sweeping hilt with a round pommel secured to the black leather hilt of the weapon.

"I think this small sword will suit your small build," Taelerys decided. "Not as strong as a broadsword, but this is Valyrian steel, so it might as well be. But, being quick and articulate is all you need to do some serious damage."

Taelerys was afraid that Arya wouldn't like having the little sword, though was immensely pleased when the Stark slowly grabbed the sword. The tomboy girl appeared to be grateful towards Taelerys and was definitely delighted by the sword. "Thank you," Arya smiled with gratitude for the weapon. It was a risk taking it back as it was Valyrian steel and thus very valuable, but it was Arya's responsibility now.

"A sword should should have a name Arya, what would you like to call it?" Taelerys inquired.

Arya thought about it for a few moments before a cheesy grin formed on her face. "Needle."

Taelerys burst out laughing, to which, Mycah joined in with her. _"Needle?"_

"Because I hate doing needlework!"

"Needle it is!" Taelerys howled gleefully.

_"Needle it is! Needle it is! Needle it is!"_ Her voice echoed throughout the mountain, like announcing the birth of a child at the royal court. "A wonderful name." Taelerys agreed. "Now, let's get back to the caravan before anyone wonders where we went."

* * *

"You didn't give your parents the gold you took from the vault?"

"They would've thought I robbed the king or Lord Stark if I did," Mycah admitted with disappointment. "I can't exactly tell them that I went into Aegon's Vault today. I would get the paddle for sure if I did that.

"I suppose you could slip in a few Gold Dragons into their stash every now and then," Taelerys then shrugged. "At least you won't go hungry."

"Good idea, milady." Mycah nodded.

It had been three hours discovered Aegon's Vault, now it was the late evening. The three friends were careful to hide the small treasures they took from there. Taelerys still wondered if it was wise to take Blackfyre along. The sword had been lost for three hundred years and was now found by the descendant of its owner. Actually, it had been found by Arya. Taelerys only wondered how Arya managed to find Blackfyre within that treasured mess. _My family had gone through most of the treasure before recollecting it,_ Taelerys noted to herself. _And yet, Blackfyre was found so close to the entrance when it was said to have disappeared with Aegor Rivers, the Bittersteel. How could it have landed in Aegon's Vault from the Free Cities? And who could've opened it?_

These questions both disturbed and frustrated Taelerys to no end. None of it was adding up. Taelerys only wondered where it's twin sword was. Dark Sister, the other Valyrian steel blade of House Targaryen. Dark Sister had been originally wielded by Queen Visenya Targaryen, the elder of Aegon the Conquerer's two sister-wives. _From what I read, Dark Sister disappeared alongside Brynden Rivers, the Bloodraven,_ Taelerys recalled. _A bastard of House Targaryen, who became Hand of the King and later the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Later, Bloodraven disappeared on a ranging, along with the sword. So, Dark Sister is now Beyond The Wall?_

Taly merely sunk into the grass with a sigh of irritation. _Questions that will never be answered,_ Taelerys thought bitterly to herself. Arya and Mycah were busy 'practicing' sword fighting by the riverbank. Any person could hardly call it sword fighting, or at least proper swordsmanship. All they were doing was hitting each other with wooden sticks they carved and laughing at the same time. Taelerys sat under the tree with Nymeria poised beside her, polishing Blackfyre with some sword polish she stole after returning from Mount Balerion. Feeling pleased with how shiny and clean Blackfyre looked, Taelerys eventually placed it back in its sheath. She continued to watch Arya and Mycah with amusement while Nymeria let out a loud snort, as if to scoff at their attempt at sword fighting.

Mycah was a foot taller and definitely a lot stronger, or at least fatter, than Arya, who kept getting her wooden broom handle smacked aside. Although Arya did land a few blows on Mycah, her friend might have allowed it. They weren't nearly as serious as a knight would be. Then, there was laughter to be heard a few feet away from them. They all glanced to where the childish laughter was coming from, wide eyed and startled. It was Prince Joffery with Sansa clinging closely beside him. Taelerys grabbed at her sword. _What the fuck is His Royal Higness doing here?_ Taelerys pondered hatefully. It didn't surprise Taelerys that Sansa was with Joffrey, she was swooning over that blond idiot ever since his arrival at Winterfell. It caused great concerned when Taelerys spotted a near empty skin of wine in Sansa's petite hands.

"Sansa, what are you doing here?" Arya shouted, angry that they had interrupted. "Go away!"

Joffery looked from Arya to Sansa and back again. "That's your sister?"

Sansa nodded, blushing a shade of pink. Joffrey apparently didn't notice Taelerys sitting by the tree, either that or he was just completely ignoring her existence. "And who're you?" Joffrey asked in a commanding voice. The only difference between him and his father's voice was that one had earned respect, while the other didn't. Joffrey merely demanded it, but the boy didn't strike fear into his enemies, not even into a wet kitten.

"He's the butcher's boy," Sansa informed him.

"He's my_ friend,"_ Arya corrected sharply. "And his name is Mycah!"

"A butcher's boy who wants to be a knight, is it?" Joffrey taunted, drawing his Lannister sword. "Pick up your sword, butcher's boy. Let us see how good you are."

Joffrey was smiling widely with amusement. Mycah stood there, paralyzed by fear. He instantly dropped the broom handle. "We were just playin', m'lord!" he stammered. "I-It was nothing serious!"

"Leave him alone!" Arya proclaimed.

"Arya, stay out of this!" Sansa hissed, her blue eyes stained with aversion. Joffrey continued to step towards the trembling Mycah with his sword drawn. The guard had a lion on it and immediately knew it was given to him by his mother, Queen Cersei Lannister. "I am your prince, not your lord," Joffrey declared, stepping closer. "Now, pick up your sword."

Taelerys sat there observing the scene, waiting for the right moment to intervene. Swordplay was no joke and here Joffrey was treating it as such. "It's not a sword," Mycah answered, hoping that backtracking would prevent him from having to face a real sword. "It's a stick!"

"And you're only a butcher's boy, and no knight," Joffrey added, lifting up his sword to Mycah. "Do you only fight little girls? That was my lady's sister you were hitting, you know that?"

That was when Taelerys stood up and made her presence known. Joffrey and Sansa turned around to see Taly once she stepped on some crunchy leaves. "The same could be said about you, Joffrey," Taelerys interjected. "Do you only fight butcher's boys?"

Joffrey sneered at that. "Ah, the Mad King's daughter, we didn't get properly introduced to each other at Winterfell."

Taelerys curtsied despite wearing a loosely fit white shirt and brown leather pants and boots. Her white hair pulled back into a messy braid. "Aye, and you must be the Usurper's son." Taelerys retorted.

That insult immediately wiped away the joyful grin from his face. "What did you just say?" Joffrey demanded in a low voice.

"The same thing you said to me just now," Taelerys answered, not at all terrified by the pompous prince. "An insult. Now, back to the situation at hand. Joffrey, you really should not be picking a sword fight with the butcher's boy–"

"–You don't get to tell me what to do, Targaryen wench," snapped Joffrey, growing more irritated. "You're no longer royalty, I am."

"I beg your pardon, I was only looking out for your safety upon witnessing your swordsmanship skills at Winterfell. While Mycah here is the butcher's boy and is by no means a knight, at least he's had _some_ practice, even if it's with a couple of wooden sticks," Taelerys admitted with an obvious faked concern, before patting Mycah on the back with a beaming smile. _"You_ have not, my prince. You might hurt yourself with that sword of yours. It is my sworn duty to the Seven Kingdoms to ensure that you are safe."

The insult had everyone's mouth gaped wide open. Arya looked like she was about to laugh out loud, holding it back in but smiling gleefully. Joffrey immediately stalked towards Taelerys and jabbed her in the stomach with the edge of his blade. Although it didn't break her skin, the sharp jab certainly hurt and Joffrey still held it threateningly against her belly. Taelerys merely stood there with a dark and determined look on her face. She remained calm, but knew she have to be careful about what she say otherwise her guts would spill out at any moment. "Do not mock me, you old crone," Joffrey hissed, his green eyes blooming with anger. "I could cut you from belly to throat if I wanted and get away with it."

"Your father's greatest achievement was slaying my brother and claiming the Seven Kingdoms for himself," Taelerys stated, feeling the sword digging more sharply against the skin of her belly. "Meanwhile, your only greatest achievement will be slaying the evil butcher's boy of the Seven Kingdoms and an unarmed girl. Now tell me, who is worthy?" she taunted.

Joffrey glared at Taelerys with such malice in his eyes. His ears were also turning red. The wine must have made him even more mad. Taelerys could see Sansa growing more and more nervous, as well as fearful for Taly's life.

"Taelerys, apologize immediately!" Sansa yelled at me. "He is the prince! You cannot insult him like that!"

"He is holding me at sword point and threatening to gut me, Sansa!" Taelerys hollered back, her voice filled with disgust. "And you want me to apologize?"

Joffrey raised his sword back to slash Taelerys from shoulder to genitals. Arya had screamed once and there was a loud clash of swords. Taelerys had anticipated his movement, given that Joffrey was a bit drunk as well, and easily drew out Blackfyre to easily disarm the slowed prince. Joffrey gasped once, before stepping a few feet away from her. "Do you still wish to fight, my prince?" Taelerys questioned. "Or are you a chicken?"

While Joffrey was trying to contain his anger from Taly's earlier insults, he did seem a little afraid of that. Now, he would be fighting someone with more potential at swordplay than him. And with real swords. Taelerys wanted going to show this arrogant little prince what it really meant to earn respect.

Joffrey scoffed once. "Of course, you fool." He picked up his sword before holding it with both of his hands, pointing it awkwardly to Taelerys. The Targaryen smiled to herself, Joffrey had accepted just like she knew he would. His pride was on the line. Or at least the small amount of honor this joke of a prince had. Taelerys flamboyantly swung Blackfyre around in her hand before posing rather over dramatically. Joffrey flinched at that. The Hound wouldn't be here to save him from getting beaten up like last time.

"You look nervous, Your Highness," Taelerys grinned. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Of course I am, you whore! I don't carry this sword around for show!" Joffrey shouted at her with an uncased rage. That comment made Taelerys and Arya eye each other at the ridiculousness of that statement. "I am the son of King Robert Baratheon! Highly trained in swordsmanship! If I could, I'd carve your heart out with Lion's Tooth like my father did to your brother!"

Arya and Mycah continued to smother their own laughter, which made Joffrey turn an even darker shade of red. Sansa stood a few yards behind him rather fearfully. This was supposed to be a walk through the forest with the prince of her dreams. She didn't expect Joffrey to escalate this into a stupid and potentially life threatening sword match.

Taelerys snickered at how easily colored Joffrey could be. It didn't take much to seduce this sadistic prone brat into a fight. _At least Arya and Mycah will be safe,_ Taly thought. And that was all that mattered.

Joffrey was going to get himself killed someday. Although Taelerys wanted it to be today, she knew that she could not hurt the boy. No matter how much Taly wanted to. Taelerys bowed my head once. "Of course, my prince," she gleamed in a mocking tone, lifting up Blackfyre and dropping onto the grass. Everyone went wide eyed with confusion when Taelerys picked up the wooden stick that Mycah had cast aside.

_"What_ are you doing?" Joffrey demanded, immensely confused by her actions.

"I would use a sword, my prince," Taelerys explained, before pulling a snide grin. "But, a stick is all I'll need for this fight."

Arya couldn't hold her laughter in any longer. She burst out in a chorus of giggles, almost falling to the grass. Mycah wasn't quite as amused, his life having been threatened moments before. That was more than Joffrey could take.

"The only one who is gonna get hurt is_ you!"_ he roared, charging at Taelerys like a bull seeing red. His moves were so predictable that it was pathetic to Taelerys. She merely stepped to the side, causing Joffrey to stumble and almost fall into the river. Joffrey swung the sword at me like an untamed lion, which was perhaps what he was. Taelerys merely ducked and dodged, of course if she ever got hit, she was dead. Taelerys also had to be careful that he didn't slice the broom stick in half, which Joffrey could easily do. Taelerys hopped back from another swing. "You swing that sword like a neanderthal," she taunted, in order to incense Joffrey even more. "What are they teaching back in King's Landing? Dancing?"

"How to gut cunts like you!" screamed Joffrey, lunging forward and trying to stab Taelerys once more. She easily parried the sword with the stick, before swinging around and whacking Joffrey right on his behind. This also caused Joffrey to fall face first into the ground with his sword tossed beside him.

"I'm still waiting to be gutted, my prince." Taelerys sighed lazily. She held the stick against her shoulder rather bored. Joffrey tried getting to his feet until the wooden stick was pointed to his chin. A grim look had now replaced the sarcastic one on Taelerys's face. It couldn't have terrified Joffrey anymore. Taelerys looked as thought she was seriously going to kill Joffrey.

"Had this been a real sword, you would've been dead," Taelerys informed him in a low voice, detesting the boy before her. "You need to learn how to fight your own battles if you're ever going to rule the Seven Kingdoms properly. But further more, fight them only if it's necessary."

Joffrey could see the disgust in her violet eyes. He feared Taelerys greatly, even though she had just beat him with a mere stick. Nobody humiliated him like that and got away with it. Taelerys tossed the stick beside Joffrey before turning to walk away. He immediately grabbed her arm and ran a knife along her skin. Taelerys felt the burning and sharp pain along with the sound of her own flesh being sliced_. _Arya had her mouth hanging open with horror at what Joffrey did. Taelerys winced as Joffrey was tightly gripping her bleeding wrist in one hand, while holding a dagger in the other. _That little shit must have concealed that in his sleeve,_ Taelerys thought quickly.

"You're a dead bitch!" Joffrey yelled at Taelerys, attempting to stab her wrist with the dagger. Taelerys was faster, catching his wrist and the two struggled for the blade. Despite trying to keep a hold on her wrist, the blood made her arm slippery and Taelerys easily slipped out of his grasp. After twisting his hand painfully, Joffrey was forced to drop the knife. Taelerys then backhanded Joffrey across the face. He squealed like a little girl and collapsed against the grass. Blood formed at the side of his mouth as Joffrey clutched his burning cheek. His green eyes were filled with nothing but vile contempt for Taelerys. He immediately picked up Blackfyre off the ground and began swinging it at Taelerys, who was running away from Joffrey, having nothing to defend herself with. Not even a stick. "How dare you slap a prince!" Joffrey bellowed. "I'll gut you, you little cunt!"

Sansa had begun crying and screaming, while Arya came up from behind and wrapped her arms around Joffrey. This caused Joffrey to flail his sword with his restrained arms and attempted to shake her off. A grey blur flashed past them, and Nymeria had tackled Joffrey. Her jaws were snapped around his wrist as the grey direwolf attacked him. Joffrey dropped the sword and started shrieking with pain. Arya had been knocked back from the tackle. Sansa screamed as loudly as him, covering her face with her hands. _"Get it off me!"_ Joffrey screamed. _"Get it off!"_

"Nymeria!" Arya cried out.

The direwolf immediately let go of Joffrey and backed away. Taelerys looked around for Mycah, but saw him nowhere in sight. Mycah must have ran for the hills. The prince laid in the grass, whimpering, and clutching his own bloodied arm. Retribution had a funny way of coming back. Taelerys looked over to Arya, whose eyes were filled with a confused range of emotions. This was more than just getting into trouble with Septa Mordane. Arya picked up Lion's Tooth while Joffrey raised his arm. "Please," he begged her. "Don't."

Arya let out an exhale of breath before tossing Lion's Tooth into the river. She immediately bolted into the forest with Nymeria following closely behind. Taelerys was going to call after her but had to make sure Joffrey was all right. Not for his sake, but for her own. Joffrey was panting heavily, still unable to deal with the pain of his bloodied and bitten arm. Taelerys strode towards him, causing Joffrey to flinch away in fear. "G-Get the Maester," Joffrey trembled.

Taelerys looked to my own profusely bleeding arm. "Oh, for my wrist wound? I think I'll be okay."

Sansa ran to Joffrey, holding him in her arms and blubbering over him like a hen. Her brilliant blue eyes then glowered at Taelerys. Tears filled her eyes. "I hate you," she seethed. "I hate you, Taelerys Targaryen. I'll never forgive you for this. You are worse than Arya."

"Hmph, I could care less what you think," Taelerys scoffed, before picking up Blackfyre from the grass. That caused the two to straighten up in terror. They were relieved once Taelerys sheathed it. She found it amusing that they actually thought she was going to kill them. Taelerys knelt closer to take a look at Joffrey's wrist. He cowered in fear as Sansa shoved Taelerys away. "Get out, you monster!" she screamed right into her ear. "You wretched!"

Taelerys pulled out a white handkerchief, before forcefully grabbing Joffrey's wrist and purposefully wrapping it around tightly. "Ow!" Joffrey complained, before clutching his wounded wrist. Joffrey looked at Taelerys like a scared little puppy. Taelerys shot the blond prince an annoyed, but clearly agitated look. "Well, the monster decided to be nice today and give her own attacker a bandage. How nice of her. Say thank you." Taelerys then ordered.

Joffrey paused, his lip quivering with confusion.

"Say 'thank you'." Taelerys ordered, more forcefully.

"T-Thank you," Joffrey stammered.

Taelerys glanced once more at her now profusely bleeding and aching arm, but merely let it hang at her side while she walked away. She wouldn't show weakness against her adversary. "I suppose I'll go get the Maester," Taelerys sighed. "You and Joffrey wait here."

"As if I can move, you fucking cunt!" Joffrey suddenly snarled at Taelerys, the sarcastic remark snapping him out of his fear. "But, I assure you, when I can, you'll be wishing you were dead!"


	8. Loyalties

Taelerys tossed Blackfyre into the bottom of a small lake before deciding to head back. She watched it sink the bottom of the murky yet shallow water. She didn't want the Usurper or anyone discovering the long lost ancestral sword of her fallen house. That would definately raise suspicion that Taelerys had somehow entered Aegon's Vault without them knowing. Taelerys winced once as pain continued to serge throughout her arm.

_That bloody blond cunt, _Taelerys thought angrily to herself._ I defeated him fair and square and he attacked me with my back turned. What a coward._

Taelerys needed to get back to the caravan so she could get her arm properly cleaned, stitched, and bandaged. Hopefully, she would get something similar to milk of the poppy to deal with the pain. That was if the Usurper didn't decide to have her executed for today. The thought terrified Taelerys and had her heart pumping. She wasn't scared of Joffrey, but she did greatly fear the Usurper that had killed most of her own family in retribution for Lyanna. Lord Stark wasn't going to be pleased with Taelerys one bit. She wondered if he would be able to convince his friend against killing her for today.

It didn't take long for Taelerys to be found, unfortunately it was by the Usurper's men. The golden cloaks had their spears and swords pointed at the Targaryen. Ser Meryn Trant climbed down from his horse and approached me. "The king and the queen demand an audience with you for this atrocious attack on the prince," Meryn stated. "You are to come with us, wench."

Taelerys simply nodded in response. Most of the weapons lowered as Taelerys felt two hands grab her waist and lift her onto a horse like she was a sack of flour. Taelerys looked behind to see who could've been strong enough to do such a feat. It was Sander Clegane, the Hound, and the younger brother to the rapist pig, the Mountain That Rides. The disgruntled soldier with the burned face turned and walked back to his own massive warhorse. To her disgust, Ser Meryn climbed onto the horse she was on. "Don't try anything stupid, or you'll get more wounds than the ones on your arm," Ser Meryn warned her.

"Why would I try anything? I wanted to be found, you fool." Taelerys retorted as her hands were tied with rope. The blood stained the tight and itchy rope, making her even more irritable. The small group of guards rode back to the caravan towards the Usurper and his family. It was an uncomfortable ride to say the least, but that wasn't the worst of it. Ser Meryn sat directly behind Taelerys while she also had to deal with a bleeding and throbbing arm while the horse galloped over the plains. Right up against his crotch. Luckily, Ser Meryn didn't seem to be remotely interested in her and wasn't bothered by how awkward it was. Taelerys wondered what Joffrey had told his parents. No doubt they were only lies. But, she knew the Usurper would believe them.

_Anything to kill a Targaryen._

Taelerys was brought directly before the king and queen. The crowd of his men parted as the Targaryen approached with guards at all sides. Robert glared at Taelerys with such malice in his blue eyes. He slowly rose from his seat, where Cersei stood beside him with an equally as hateful look on her face. "How dare you...attack my own son..." Robert seethed. "I should take your arm off for that, Targaryen bitch. In fact, why don't I?"

Suddenly, Ser Boros grabbed Taelerys's injured arm and held it against the table. It continued to pulse with pain from the tight grip, but she knew it was going to hurt even more in a few moments. Ser Meryn was waiting on a chopping axe. _I'm going to have to talk fast if I want to keep my hand,_ Taelerys thought quickly.

"Have you even taken a look at Joffrey's wounds, Your Grace?" Taelerys quickly interjected. "He was bitten by an animal, not injured by any blade, let alone mine. Isn't that right, Maester?"

Ser Meryn was given the chopping axe, but Robert raised his hand and motioned for it to stop. The Maester cleared his throat for a moment, appearing to be a little scared to speak. "Indeed, she speaks the truth, Your Grace," The Maester croaked in his scratchy voice.

"This wench attacked our son with a sword!" Cersei reminded Robert with such fury in her voice.

"I found not a single cut on the prince, Your Grace," The Maester added, immediately regretting it when the queen glowered at him. Taelerys tried wriggling her bloodied wrist out of Ser Meryn's meaty hand, which still pinned her to the table.

"Then, where did she get that wound?" Cersei questioned.

"From your son's dagger," Taelerys immediately answered, trying to remain calm.

"Then that proves it, you attacked the prince."

"No offense, Your Grace," sighed Taelerys, exhausted. "But while Prince Joffrey's marksman skills are impressive, his swordsmanship skills are naught. Robb and Theon easily beat him in swordplay. I've been training with a sword for over thirteen years. I could've easily defeated or harmed the prince with a sword if I had really wanted to. But, I didn't. I allowed him to harm me."

Cersei scoffed at that while Robert merely sat in his chair studying Taelerys, conflicted by both bitterness towards the Targaryens and the truth in her words. "You don't honestly expect us to believe you? You hate us for what we did to your family after what they did to so many in the Seven Kingdoms," Cersei stated.

"This has nothing to do with your husband's rebellion that ended my family," Taelerys insisted in a determined voice. "I will say that chopping my arm off or worse without a trial sounds vaguely similiar to something my own wretched father would do. Although he preferred to burn people."

Some of the guards that were from the Stark household looked to each other thoughtfully. They had never heard Taelerys speak so openly of her father, let alone with disgust. "She's just trying to gain your favor by speaking ill of the Mad King. Robert, my love, don't forget what the Targaryens have done to you or the Seven Kingdoms," Cersei reminded him, hoping to ignite his rage. "Or what they've taken from you."

Instead, Robert directed his hateful gaze towards his wife. "What do you care what they have taken from me?" he snapped. That somewhat surprised yet delighted Taelerys. The Usurper may have been a fat, bloodthirsty fool, but he wasn't foolish enough to be manipulated by his own wife.

"What about your son, then?" Cersei then interjected. Robert looked back to Taelerys and was locked in a stare. Both were trying to figure out what was going on behind those eyes. If she didn't say something quick, Robert really would chop her arm off or worse. "I have done nothing to your family or the Seven Kingdoms, Your Grace," Taelerys blurted out. "Your resentment towards me is misplaced and unfair. I deserve to be heard before any punishment is decided, as do the other witnesses to this incident."

"Silence, girl," Cersei hissed. "A Targaryen has no right to talk about justice after the vile things your family did."

"Your family did some vile things as well, Your Grace," Taelerys added.

"Shut the hell up, the both of you," Robert interrupted with an annoyed tone of voice. "We didn't come here to discuss the war, as you mentioned before, this is about you and our son."

The door burst open, and in came Ned Stark with his men. "What is the meaning of this, Rob?"

Instead of Robert, it was Cersei who answered, "How dare you speak to your king in that manner!"

The king held his arm to Cersei in order to silence her. "Quiet, woman," he snapped. "I'm dealing with the attacker of my son, Ned. What else does it look like?"

"You didn't even ask her what happened," Ned pointed out.

"I don't need too."

"Your ignorance boggles my mind sometimes!"

Then, Robert and Ned were shouting at each other once more. Taelerys honestly wondered why the Usurper wanted Ned to be his Hand if all they did was disagree and argue with each other. Ned then ordered Ser Meryn to release Taelerys, refusing to do so until Robert nodded. Ser Meryn stepped aside and wiped his hand covered with Taelerys's blood on his white cloak. Ned pulled Taly into a hug before glancing at her bleeding arm. It had started to crust as it wasn't bleeding as bad, but Taelerys still needed attention to her wound.

"Seven hells, who did this?" Ned breathed.

"Joffrey," Taelerys answered. "Of course, the boy was only able to land a blow me with my back turned."

"We'll get you a Maester right away, Taly."

"Thank you, my lord."

Taelerys sighed with relief. His eyes swept across the room, as Taelerys guessed who Lord Stark was looking for. "Where are my daughters?" Ned demanded.

"Sansa is with Joffrey, who is being tended to by a Maester," Cersei answered bitterly. "The other one hasn't been found."

"I will have my men search for Arya, in the meantime, no harm is to be done to Taelerys. We will settle this fairly, Rob. Don't jump into any rash conclusions until Arya and Sansa are here," Ned told his king in a commanding voice. This caused Robert to stir with a barely containable rage. He turned his fat head over to Ser Meryn. "Send the Maester to tend to the Targaryen...after Joff has been treated," Robert grumbled. "Go now."

Ser Meryn bowed once and immediately left to inform their Maester. Ned took Taelerys to one of the guest rooms of the inn that the royal family was staying in. Of course, there had to be Lannister guards stationed outside the door and window. All Taelerys could do was wait.

* * *

After about twenty minutes, the Baratheon and Lannister's Maester entered the room. The Maester treated Taelerys's arm, but not a word was spoken to each other. The Maester probed at the long knife wound across her arm. Taelerys had to hold back a scream as he had to spread apart the broken skin to further examine it. "No veins have been broken, the wound is fairly deep, I'm afraid," the Maester explained, picking up a small bucket. The Maester placed a small handful of maggots into the bloody flesh of Taelerys's arm wound.

The thought of having maggots in her arm disgusted her, but Taelerys knew it was for her own good. The Maester then pressed her sliced skin back together for stitching. His hands trembled as the Maester threaded a needle, which made Taelerys even more nervous. Taelerys braced myself for the pain she was going to feel. The elderly Maester held down her arm before abruptly shoving the needle into Taelerys's skin. She held back a scream, but that didn't deter the Maester, who kept on stitching her arm. The Maester continued to insert the needle through her flesh. Taelerys could only whimper and on occasion let out a grunt in agony. The Maester finally finished and tied off the thread. Taelerys panted heavily and wiped away the sweat and tears from her face. The Maester applied an ointment and wrapped a bandage around her wrist before leaving. Taelerys laid on the bed with the searing pain in her arm, wondering if Arya and Mycah were safe. After what seemed like hours, Taelerys closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Taelerys was awoken abruptly with a couple of violent shakes from a Lannister guard. He yanked Taelerys out of bed and dragged her out into the crowded inn, where Robert and Cersei sat. Joffrey stood nervously beside them with a bandaged arm. Ned, Sansa, and Arya also stood before them. She was half-awake at this point but Taelerys had no choice but to wake herself up within seconds. Robert exhaled deeply, "Alright, lets get this business over with."

Cersei stepped forward, a cold look marring the beauty on her face. "These two girls and the butcher's boy attacked my son. That animal of your daughter's tried to tear his arm off, then the Targaryen tried to run him through with a sword."

"That's not true!" Arya said loudly. "Nymeria only bit him a little and Taelerys didn't even lay a single cut on the idiot!"

"How dare you speak about me that way!" hissed Joffrey, clutching his bandaged arm.

"Joff told us what happened," the queen said. "You, the Targaryen wench, and the butcher's boy beat him with clubs and a sword while you set your wolf on him."

"That's not how it was, Your Grace," Taelerys intervened, noticing that Arya was close to tears. She had to remain calm as possible, otherwise the king and his party would no longer be civil. "Prince Joffrey came looking for a fight. He tried to attack Mycah with a steel blade. I asked him to stop but Joffrey refused. The prince attacked me with a sword while I had only a stick to defend myself with. I did not harm the prince, for I know what the punishment would be if I did. I did not harm the boy. But, having not a shred of honor, Prince Joffrey cut me across the wrist with a concealed dagger. Then again, attacking a defenseless butcher's boy with a sword shows no honor in itself."

Robert turned to Joffrey with disgust on his face. "You were beaten with a stick? And let that little girl disarm you?" his voice filled with utter disappointment. Joffrey stood completely frozen in place, his throat tightening. Taelerys knew that Joffrey was absolutely seething on the inside, having just been humiliated before the entire court. "That's not what happened, father!" Joffrey then insisted. "They all attacked me, and the Stark girl threw Lion's Tooth into the river!" Taelerys noticed that Joffrey didn't so much as glance at her or Arya while he spoke.

"Liar!" Arya yelled.

"Shut up!" the prince yelled back.

_"Enough!"_ the king roared, rising from his seat, extremely irritated by what had happened. There was complete silence from his commanding voice. He didn't bother asking for Taelerys's story, but it didn't matter. It was the same story as Arya's. The honest truth. Robert glared at Arya through his thick beard. "Now, child, you will tell me what happened. Tell it all, and tell it true. It is a great crime to lie to a king." Then he looked over to his son. "When she is done, you will have your turn. Until then, hold your tongue."

Before Arya could explain what happened, the door opened behind them. Taelerys turned around to see Vayon Poole enter with Sansa. Arya began her story and when she got to the part where Taelerys embarrassed the prince by smacking him on the behind with a stick, some chuckles rang through the hall. The king whistled at his men to remain quiet. _"Lion's Tooth,"_ Renly Baratheon muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes at the prospect of such a silly name for a sword.

Then, it was Joffrey's turn to speak. Taelerys noted that he was very pale and only stared at the ground while he spoke. Something Bran would do whenever he lied. Joffrey spun a very different tale of events. The Usurper looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment. "What in all the seven hells am I supposed to make of this? He says one thing, she says another!"

"Sansa was present," the queen spoke. "Come here, little dove, tell us what happened."

Sansa stepped forward hesitantly. She blinked at her sister, then the young prince, and lastly at me. Our eyes met. She then lost her confused look and glowered at me. Her thick auburn head snapped back towards the Usurper. "It's true what Prince Joffrey said, they attacked him while we were walking by the riverbank," she lied. "Taelerys beat him with a sword relentlessly, Your Grace."

Taelerys simply closed her eyes and shook her head in disappointment. Arya did not take so kindly to the betrayal.

_"You rotten!"_ Arya shrieked, lunging at Sansa and knocking her to the floor. Arya jumped on top of Sansa and began hitting her all over the face. Sansa began screaming for Arya to stop it. Taelerys reached forward and and pried Arya off of Sansa. Arya continued to struggle with Taelerys and snarl at her sister like an angry mountain bear. Taelerys's injured arm was stinging from holding Arya back. She momentarily massaged it in an attempt to dull the pain. The queen looked repulsed. "This girl is as wild as the animal that maimed our son," Cersei said. "Robert, I want these girls punished."

"Dammit, Cersei, look at her, she's a child," Robert swore. "What would you have me do? Pull out her tongue? Children fight. It's over."

The queen was furious. "And what about the Targaryen? She is no child. She is a woman."

His blue eyes glared at Taelerys with distaste, leaving her very nervous as to what punishment she would receive. Taelerys knew the Usurper would not give her a light punishment, even if she wasn't in the wrong. Before Robert could say anything, Ned stepped in front of her. "I would say Taelerys has received her punishment. Her arm was ripped open by a dagger. She will carry scars for the rest of her life." Ned explained. "Wouldn't you agree, Robert?"

His face turned bright red. _"Never_...not for a Targaryen..." Robert seethed through clenched teeth. "Not even death is a good enough punishment for her kind."

"Don't let your hatred blind you, Rob," Ned warned. "Taelerys did not attack your son. Joffrey attacked an unarmed butcher's boy with a sword for no reason. She was badly injured protecting the butcher's boy."

Robert reluctantly nodded. Taelerys was sure she would have been able to handle the Usurper on her own, but was still grateful that Lord Stark had arrived to help. He was the voice of reason. For that, Taelerys would always admire Ned. He was perhaps the only man in the Seven Kingdoms who could tame the Usurper's anger. With that done and out of the way, the king made his way towards the exit. The queen, however, was not at all pleased or finished. "Our son is badly injured, are you going to let the beast live that savaged our son?" she called after him.

Robert stopped, turned back, and frowned through his thick black beard. "I forgot about the damned wolf."

Arya tensed up underneath Taelerys's one good arm, who looked up at her with worry. Jory spoke up quickly. "We found no trace of the direwolf, Your Grace."

Robert did not look happy, but at the same time, didn't want to press the issue. He just wanted this business to be done with not have to glance at the Targaryen any more. "No? So be it." he finished.

"We have another wolf," Cersei added. Her voice was soft, but Taelerys could see her green eyes glistening with a desire for revenge. It took everyone a moment to understand what she meant.

"You mean Lady? You can't mean Lady!" Sansa then exclaimed. "But, Lady wasn't even the one who bit Joffrey!"

Robert shrugged, irritably, just wanting this to be over with. "As you will, my queen. Ser Ilyn will see to it. Get your girl a dog, Ned. A direwolf is no pet."

That was when Sansa pieced together what they meant. Her blue eyes suddenly became clouded with fear and deseperation for her direwolf. "He doesn't mean Lady, does he?" Ned didn't say anything and that was when the truth became clear. _"No!"_ she protested. "No, not Lady! She is good!"

"Lady wasn't there!" Arya shouted angrily. "You leave her alone!"

"Stop them, please!" Sansa pleaded with her father. "Don't let them do it, please, please, it wasn't Lady, it was Nymeria, Arya did it, you can't, it wasn't Lady!" Sansa continued to ramble on before she broke down crying All Ned could do was hold her in his arms as Sansa wept. Taelerys even noticed tears form in Arya's eyes. She wrapped her arms tightly around Taelerys, her face pressed against her shoulder. Taelerys hugged her back and placed a hand on Arya's rugged black hair.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," Arya sniffled, more tears staining Taelerys's leather jacket.

"I know," she whispered back.

Taelerys glanced back over to the queen and prince. Cersei looked pleased that at least something was going to die in return for her son's injuries. Joffrey smiled up at Taelerys and Arya for the first time. She merely narrowed her amethyst eyes with a look that said _'this isn't over'_. Cersei had called for Ser Ilyn Payne to put the direwolf down, but Ned insisted upon doing it himself. Jory brought forth Ice to the Lord Stark. "Jory, take the girls back to their tents," Ned ordered. "I will execute Lady myself, she is a part of the north. She deserves better than a butcher."

Cersei was suspicious, but eventually relented. Ned left the room not looking over to his children nor Taelerys once. She imagined that his grey eyes were burning with guilt. They were led out of the room with Sansa still wailing and sobbing for Lady. Arya eventually let go of her, wiping away tears, but Taelerys wrapped a comforting arm around her. Taelerys was walking through the dark towards the tent they had set up when she saw the Hound. Taelerys noticed he was carrying a grey body sized bag. Arya paid no attention to the Hound, still silently sniffling to herself. Taelerys heard the Hound laugh once, dismounting, as Ned spoke with him.

The Hound shoved the burden off of his horse, landing in front of Ned with a thump. At first, Taelerys thought the Hound had found and hunted down Nymeria. But, that wasn't who it was. A body partially spilled out of the bloodied bag.

It was Mycah.

His eyes wide open and body nearly cut in half, completely covered in blood.

* * *

Taelerys didn't get any sleep that night. Mycah was dead. Lady was dead. And it was all Prince Joffrey's fault. Yet she felt like it was her own fault too. _What could I have done differently to have saved them?_ She wondered. _Maybe if I hadn't been so fucking arrogant in poking the bee's nest, than I wouldn't have gotten stung. And Nycah and Lady wouldn't have died.  
_

Taelerys felt like a hole was punched through her stomach. It was the same feeling she felt when my family had died all those years ago. Taelerys intervened on Mycah's behalf to protect him from Joffrey, and even then, she still failed to protect him. Mycah was a good kid. The only child of the butcher of his wife. Now, they were childless. Taelerys wept and mourned silently throughout the night, as did Arya, although she did not yet know that her best friend was dead.

When the sun barely reached the edge of the horizon, Taelerys decided that it was safe enough to go fetch Blackfyre without anyone noticing her. They were going to be leaving by early morning and she needed to retrieve it without being seen. Taelerys put on a plain green dress with a leather belt carrying a dagger at her side. It was difficult pulling the tight sleeve over her injured and bandaged arm. Taelerys quickly brushed my silvery hair before putting on her leather sandals. Arya was still sleeping soundly in her matted bed on the other side of the tent. Taelerys noticed that she was holding the Valyrian rapier she had given her only yesterday, closely to her own small body.

Arya had asked Taelerys and her lord father if Mycah was okay after the ordeal. Both had glanced to each other silently and lied, saying that Mycah was alive and with his parents. Now, she was going to learn the horrible truth today. Taelerys slipped out of her tent by dawn. It was early morning, so there weren't too many Lannister or Baratheon men about. Of course there were guards, but they paid no mind to the Targaryen. They could honestly care less if the Targaryen girl had gotten hurt.

Taelerys scurried through the maze of tents like a sly little fox, the bottoms of hery dress becoming wet from the dew on the grass. She felt a wave of relief once Taelerys was out of the crowded camp. Taelerys continued to bound through the trees and towards the lake. She searched for the one spot where Taelerys had thrown Blackfyre. After examining every ripple of dark water and looking across the slimy bottom of the lake, Taelerys found it.

Right underneath the tree that weaned above the murky water. No doubt the water was going to be cold. Taelerys took off her leather sandals. She then pondered whether or not she should take her clothes off. Taelerys eventually decided against it, her clothes were still going to get wet from my naked body. She also didn't want to go through all the effort or have someone glance at her naked. Taelerys would just change into some new ones when she got back.

Taelerys inhaled deeply before diving in. The water wasn't quite as cold as she thought. It was still very cold though, but at least it didn't have the icy sting of the Winterfell waters. All the Starks were insane when it came to resisting the cold. They would swim in glacier waters freely without their lips turning purple or shivering from the freezing water like hers did. Taelerys found it ironic, she was immune to heat while the Starks were immune to the cold. Together they were the perfect combination.

Taelerys opened her eyes under the water. Everything was blurry as she had expected. The water stung her eyes a little, but that was easy to ignore after a few moments. All Taelerys could really see were smudges of brown and light. Swimming further down, Taelerys saw the faint outline of her sword near the bottom of the six foot lake. Its shine nearly blinding her. She reached out for it, at first only grabbing a fistful of muck, before feeling around for Blackfyre. Taelerys found it after a few seconds. She then pressed her feet against the bottom of the shallow part of the lake, before bounding up towards the surface, bubbles traveling alongside her. Taelerys inhaled with relief when reaching the air. She had started to suffocate while under the cool water.

"Have a nice swim?"

Startled, Taelerys spun around in the water to see who was there. It was Lord Stark, who was leaning casually against a tree. His arms were crossed and had an amused look on his face. Taelerys frowned at his appearance, sinking slightly back into the water. Taelerys was at a crossroads. She didn't know whether to share her secret or hide at. Taelerys supposed that she could drop Blackfyre and come back for it again later. But, then again she might not have the time to. All the while, this was Lord Stark, her warden and father figure. She could trust him. Taelerys confidently waded towards the shore. Ned looked at her with surprise when he saw Taelerys walk out of the water holding a sword. The cool wind blew against Taelerys, making me feel even colder. She was completely drenched and felt like she had gained fifty pounds from all the water soaked into her clothing.

Ned approached his ward, his dark eyebrows furrowed into a narrow. "I don't remember giving you a sword," he recalled, holding his calloused hand out. "May I see it?"

Taelerys handed the sword to him without a word. Water continued to roll of the perfect edge of the wine-colored scabbard. Ned unsheathed the sword and examined it from the tip of the blade to the ruby pommel. His face paled after a few moments. That was when I knew that he realized what this sword was.

"This blade is Valyrian steel...and if I can recall from one of Old Nan's stories...looks an awful lot like Blackfyre," Ned commented, completely entranced by the sword. "The most famous sword of House Targaryen, belonging to Aegon the Conqueror."

He perfectly described the history of her sword. Lord Stark didn't know whether to be amazed or confused by this. Taelerys just stood there waiting for what her lord and warden would do. Ned slid Blackfyre back into it's wine red sheath, and to her surprise, handed it back to her. "Where did you get this sword?" Ned inquired. "It was said to be lost in the Free Cities with Bittersteel."

Taelerys fringed her lips, deciding whether or not to tell him. She supposed that there was no getting around it. "I got it from Aegon's Vault." she answered.

"How? Robert has a town and fort built in front of the vault, no one can get in without permission," Ned replied. There was no way Taelerys had somehow snuck through the entire fort without being seen, opening a fifty-foot vault door most certainly would be seen. Yet she had somehow obtained the sword.

"There was a secret entrance," Taelerys breathed. "I went exploring with Arya and Mycah on the side Mount Balerion. We found it and I opened it, my lord. You know what that means?"

It was just as he thought. Rhaegar wasn't the last dragon. "Can you show me?" her lord asked.

The last thing Taelerys wanted was for him to show the Usurper the extra exit. Then, Taelerys would never be able to get into Aegon's Vault. Ned wasn't a fool to notice how uncomfortable she was about it. The fact that she opened the vault amazed him. There was a chance Taelerys could possibly be cursed for attempting to open the vault. Clearly, that wasn't the case.

"I'm not going to tell, do you doubt me?" Ned asked. "Do you think I would be so low as to try and take your family legacy from you?"

"Of course not, my lord." I answered. "But, it's a three day trip to get back there."

"You are already going back to Winterfell,"

"You said I could come to King's Landing to retrieve some of my things," Taelerys argued.

Ned let out a sigh and countered, "Yes, but after yesterday's events, that's changed."

Taelerys crossed her arms with anger, stubbornly looking away from her lord. "It will only take us one day of riding, Taly." Ned told her intently. "We won't lugging the whole caravan of soldiers and servants with us. I'll tell Robert that we're going hunting."

Taelerys raised an eyebrow. She knew that Ned taking a girl, least of all the Targaryen, was going to raise some questions. It was against what society expected of women, but that was just them. There was nothing they could do against Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. He was possibly the only being capable of standing up to the Usurper without being killed for it. Taelerys moved her wet, tangled hair out of her face. "You promise you won't tell anyone, my lord?" she asked. "This is all I have left of my family. I don't want anyone else to have it."

"Agreed." Ned nodded.

Taelerys gave the man she considered to be her father a bright smile. The world needed more people like Lord Eddard Stark. The dark haired Stark turned around and began walking towards camp. She followed quickly in his stead, even though she was still freezing from being drenched with water. "When you get back to camp, I want you to pack some food and extra clothing for our trip," ordered Ned. "We leave in one hour."

"Yes, my lord." Taelerys answered.


	9. Perzys Anogar

Indeed it did take all day to ride back to Mount Balerion. It was a long journey that took twelve hours of non-stop riding to reach the mountain. By that time, it was already pitch black dark. That made it all the more difficult to see. After finding the trail that lead to the vault, Taly and Ned tied the exhausted horses to a tree. They whined once before lying down to rest. Ned followed Taelerys as she retraced her steps back to the secret entrance of Aegon's Vault. She was nervous the entire time. What if I see my mother's ghost again? What if the vault isn't there? It was the night that scared Taelerys the most.

Taelerys began climbing the familiar slippery slope that led to the dead end waterfall. Ned was uneasy about the beaten path. "Are you sure it's this way?" he asked.

Next thing Taelerys knew, her foot didn't find the ground. Instead, she fell into an abyss of darkness before slamming into the ground. Taelerys grunted loudly upon impact.

"I'm sure!" she grunted, having the wind knocked out of her once more. Taelerys rolled onto her unharmed side. That was the second time she fell into the tunnel like that. It hurt each time, this one even worse because of her injured arm. Now, she was going to have bruises on both sides of her rib cage. Taelerys felt like an idiot for not being more careful of her footing. Though the pitch black dark didn't help her vision very much.

"Taelerys!" Ned hollered into the hole, his voice echoing through out the tunnel. "Are you alright?"

Suddenly, the torches inside the tunnel were ablaze. Taelerys was no longer in the dark. Ned peered into the now lit tunnel and jumped in. It was a ten feet fall, but Ned was careful not to land on his ward. Ned helped Taly up to her feet. He then looked to the flaming torches on the walls. "They lit themselves, what magic is this?" Ned breathed.

"The magic of Old Valyria," Taly answered. "The same magic that courses through my veins, Lord Stark."

"So, the three of you troublemakers just_ happened_ upon this place?"

She frowned before pursing her lips together. "No, my mother's ghost brought me here." Taelerys stated. It sounded a lot less stupid when we saw it.

Ned pulled a torch from the wall for better light. "Your mother's ghost?" he asked, his voice somewhat disbelieving. It did sound pretty ridiculous, but that was the only way she could describe it. Taly cleared her throat once. "Yes." she replied, walking down the tunnel towards the vault door. Side-by-side with Lord Stark. "I was on the trail with Mycah and Arya when I saw her, she ran away and we followed her," Taelerys continued on. "Then, I fell into the tunnel and that was how we found this secret entrance to Aegon's Vault."

Ned didn't say anything, taking this all in silently. He wasn't called the Quiet Wolf for nothing. That was when we reached the vault door. Ned held the torch up to better examine the door. The three headed dragon of the Targaryen house. The ruby eyes glistened and reflected the flames in it. Now, it looked like the eyes were on fire, and that being the only thing the dragons wanted. The uneasy feeling returned to me. "Rather unsettling," Ned noted. "The eyes."

Taelerys was somewhat relieved to hear that. "Agreed, my lord," she replied.

Ned turned to me. "How did you open it?"

"I must say 'fire and blood' in High Valyrian."

"Then, say it."

Taelerys approached the vault door as Ned Stark waited patiently. _"Perzys anogar."_ she hissed in Valyrian. The ruby eyes of the three headed dragon began to glow a bright crimson, lighting up the entire tunnel in a blood colored hue. Ned took a few steps back in awe. It was a combination of fear and surprise. Ned had seen the huge fifty foot vault door in front of the mountain, but of course he had not seen it open. This smaller secret door was identical to it. He wondered what treasure was inside, but also what horrors lie behind it.

The familiar scrapping sound of metal grinding against each other was heard as each dragon head abruptly drew back towards its body. There was a loud clicking noise and the twelve foot vault door slowly swung open. Both of them stood in silence for a few moments. Ned was too stunned to say anything. Nothing could describe the shock he was feeling. He took a step into the darkened vault, before gazing at Taelerys with his Stark eyes. "I think I've always known that there was something special about you, all the way back when we first met in King's Landing," Ned confided to his ward. "Only a true dragon could open this vault. That means you are destined for greatness, but I already knew that."

Ned smiled warmly after that. Taelerys let out a snicker before turning her gaze to the ground. "My greatness will never be, Lord Stark. I am a prisoner forever."

"You have never been a prisoner to me," he reassured her. "You are a part of this family, Taly. You'll no longer have to call me 'Lord Stark', you can call me 'father'."

Taly couldn't help that tears had started to form in her eyes. "I would be most honored to call you my father," Her voice trembled with happiness. A corner of his mouth pulled into a smile.

"And nothing would make me more proud than to call you my daughter," Ned responded, extending his hand out to her.

Taelerys held back a frown, but was still pleased at the prospect of joining the family that raised and loved me. She only ever thought of Robb as a brother. Taly had never had any romantic interest in him. It was always Jon Snow that she had preferred. Taelerys pretended to give a smile of approval to Lord Stark. That was how marriage worked. A marriage was another word for an alliance. It was usually anything but love like most wet nurse tales were.

With that being said, the both of them stepped into the pitch black vault. Taelerys looked over to the pyroduct, expecting the black powder to be gone, but to her surprise, it wasn't. There was a new line of black powder running down the maze of channels. Ned noticed this too and lowered the torch to light it. The inside of the mountain was instantly illuminated by the light of the everlasting fire. Ned's grey eyes widened upon seeing just how vast the vault and treasures were.

"Shall we?" Taelerys asked, "There's still some things I'd like to take out before leaving."

Ned nodded. "Of course."

They walked down the stairs into the maze of treasure. Taelerys made her way towards the large rack with rare Valyrian books and scrolls. She began working herway through them. Taelerys picked out the ones that looked interesting. She pulled out a small book that was made of leather, which was very torn and battered, just like the pages. It read _Signs and Portents_ in High Valyrian. This was the original journal written down by by Aenar Targaryen, the oldest known Targaryen ancestor she had. His daughter was Daenys the Dreamer, who predicted the Doom of Valyria twelve years before it happened. This was a must read. Taelerys placed that in a small chest. She noticed a dusty old tome that was covered in what appeared to be dried blood. She pulled it out of the shelf. _Blood and Fire._ Wasn't that the rare text about dragons? Taelerys was definitely bringing this one too. _The Fires of the Freehold_, a long lost text about the history of Valyria. That was coming with her as well. There were a couple of other texts that she didn't find too interesting. So, Taly left those ones in the vault.

"Taly, get over here!" Ned shouted through the mountains of gold and jewels. She immediately got up and sped walked towards him. Ned was standing there holding a container. "What is it?" I asked. "Is something wrong?"

Ned held it up for me to see. It was a small jar filled with a clear green liquid. Wildfire. Something she knew all to well about. Taelerys carefully grabbed the jar out of his hand to see it myself. "Fuckin' hell, there's wildfire in here too?" she breathed, immediately struck with fear.

Ned nodded and stepped aside. Taelerys saw dozens of rows of racks filled with jars of wildfire. Their emerald color seemed to glisten within the light of the torth. The horrific memories of it flashed through out my mind. Their screams, she remembered. Taelerys could never rid herself of their screams. This was no treasure, this was a curse.

"Wildfire becomes more violate with age," Ned stated. "And if this wildfire is over three hundred years old, imagine how devastating its effects would be."

"It would burn down the entire Seven Kingdoms," Taelerys answered. "And there's got to be at least a couple hundred in here. My father had Rhaegar put these in here."

"These need to be disposed of, but I doubt we'll be able to unless the Kingdoms are informed," Ned confessed, frustrated.

"There's no way the the Lannisters would want dispose of this, my lord, they would want to turn this into a weapon," she confided. "The Seven Kingdoms would be safer with these remaining hidden in Aegon's Vault."

There was an abrupt screeching sound from behind them. Ned and Taelerys were so startled that they jumped around with our swords drawn. She nearly dropped the jar of wildfire on the floor. Ned gave her a warning look, both knowing that if she had dropped that, the entire mountain would've exploded into wildfire.

"The_ fuck_ was that?" Taelerys choked out, gently placing the jar of wildfire on the shelf.

"It sounded like rusted metal being scrapped," Ned whispered to her. "In this direction."

The both of then prowled through the tall hills of gold and jewels. When Ned and Taly entered a sort of clearing within the vault, both of their backs were facing each other. This part of the vault looked familiar to Taelerys, where she had given Arya her rapier. As well as the place where she found that obsidian suit of armor...

Taelerys lowered her sword with terror. "What in seven hells," she trailed off.

Ned swung around, still tense. "What? What is it, Taly?"

Ned looked in the direction that his ward was staring at. It was the strange black suit of armor again. The very same one that Arya had claimed moved its helmet head towards her, even though it was empty. Now, the helmet turned its head in the opposite direction. _So, Arya really was telling the truth, _Taelerys noted to herself. She knew all along but didn't want to admit it. Suddenly, she was afraid. "That suit of armor wasn't like that before," Taelerys whispered. "It moved its head again."

"What? What do you mean?" Ned demanded, confused.

Taelerys told Ned of what had happened with the suit of armor when she, Arya, and Mycah entered the vault. Ned was perplexed and disturbed by this information. "You think that's what we heard? This suit of armor turning its head?" Ned inquired.

"Has to be," she muttered.

Ned advanced towards the suit of armor and studied it for a few moments. Taly I could feel Ned feeling just as distressed about it as she. Were there eyes behind that helmet? Ned tapped it to see if the armor was hollow, which it was. Ned also took notice of the two rows of these black suits of armor, which were thousands of them, that lead possibly to the back of this very mountain vault. "This might sound insane, but these suits of armor remind me of the Dark Fay," Ned confessed. "One of Old Nan's tales."

_"Dark Fay?"_ Taelerys asked, "I've forgotten that tale."

"An old folktale, much like the Children of the Forest and the Others," Ned answered. "Those who were born and skilled with magic could create and control the Dark Fay, simply making them from dragonglass. It was said that the First Men created them with the Children to combat the Others. But, the price was too high to use them. Blood magic."

Taelerys wished she had listened to Old Nan's tales by the fire more frequently. She was certain one of her tales talked about the Dark Fay. But, that made her all the more afraid in the end. _These things were made eight thousand years ago, now in my ancestor Aegon's vault. _Taelerys thought. _I don't remember father telling me about them. Then again, he never did._ "I think they're alive," Taelerys professed. "Don't you? I don't think these are here for decoration."

Ned fringed his lips, giving me a hard stare. "Only blood magic can bring them to life," he stated. "And there's no such thing as magic."

There was nothing she could say to that. That was like saying there was no such thing as a dragon. They needed magic to hatch. Course, now they were all gone. Before Taelerys could think any further about that, the arm of the same Dark Fay moved in front of itself with a slight metallic screech. Taelerys shrieked loudly at that, jolting behind Ned, who pointed his sword at the Dark Fay. Now, she_ really_ wanted to get out of here.

"What in Seven Hells?" Ned cursed.

"It's pointing at something," Taelerys whispered, once she overcame being spooked by the Dark Fay. Its black armored arm and pointer finger were extended outwards towards something. Her amethyst eyes traced the direction it was pointing it. There was a large mahogany chest covered with bronze, sitting across from the Dark Fay in a pile of gold. Taelerys carefully tread towards the chest. She still had the uncomfortable feeling of being watched._ Maybe the Dark Fay aren't here to hurt me,_ Taelerys wondered to herself. _After all, they were locked inside this vault. Only a true dragon could open it, and that dragon was me._

Taelerys unlocked both sides of it before opening the chest. When she opened it, Taelerys found piles of the finest silks she had ever seen...and two huge dragon eggs nestled on top of them.

Taelerys let out a quick gasp. Ned immediately was by her side. Then, his face as astounded as his ward. The lord sheathed his sword and knelt beside her. These dragon eggs were the most beautiful things Taelerys had ever seen, both had a different color scheme and pattern, and were so elegant that she thought the scales were small jewels. They were so large that it took both of of Taelerys's hands to hold one. She lifted it gently from the chest, as if the egg was made of glass. It was actually a very heavy egg, feeling like it was a solid piece of stone. The egg she was holding was ivory white, with an iridescent flecks on it. The gleam of all the colors changed depending on the angle she held it at. The other one was black as night with blood red speckles across it. "I thought dragons were extinct," Taelerys recalled, placing the white egg back in the chest. "The last hatch that was laid a hundred years ago yielded nothing."

"They are, but I doubt these will hatch," Ned explained. "The eons they've been here have turned them to stone."

"How do you know?" Taelerys snickered. "Are you an expert on dragons?"

"No, but I do know that the Targaryens tried for years after the dragons went extinct to bring the remaining eggs to life. Some of them even died in the process. Not even a Targaryen could awaken them, Taelerys."

Taelerys glanced back at the dragon eggs, completely entranced by them. "Still, they're very beautiful to look at."

Ned gave her a stern look. "I know what you're thinking and it's not a good idea,"

"This whole place belongs to me, Ned." Taelerys insisted. "I want to bring them with me."

Ned thought about it for a few moments. He then shook his head and shrugged, giving up on fighting the Targaryen. "Take whatever you want, but if they are stolen, that is your own fault." he warned. "I'm going to set up camp near the entrance, we'll be plenty safe and warm in here. Don't wonder too far."

Taelerys knew we would be warm, but as for being safe, that was debatable given all she had seen today. Ned left his ward with the chest of dragon eggs. Taelerys still pondered whether or not to take them with her. These were valuable no doubt and she didn't want anyone else discovering or stealing them. Normally, Taeleryys would've left them here but Taelerys felt that she was meant to find these dragon eggs. She was _meant_ to open this vault and the Usurper would not stop her. There was an army of obsidian soldiers, hundreds of containers of wildfire, and two dragon eggs.

Everything a Targaryen would need to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Throne.


	10. Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things

Another two weeks had passed before Taelerys had made it back to Winterfell. It would've taken a month had she actually made it to King's Landing. But, her trip to King's Landing to retrieve her family's items was postponed following the incident with Joffrey. It tore at Taelerys's heartstrings not to be able to have them. But, it was just too dangerous to go. She would be surrounded by lions, all whom hated her and would love nothing more than to rip her apart.

Upon entering the yard, Taelerys spotted Rickon running around with the wolves. Grey Wind, Shaggydog, Bran's unnamed direwolf, and..._Lady?_

Taelerys hopped off the cart upon seeing the direwolf. She approached the grey furred wolf, grabbing her by the collar. The direwolf gazed up at Taelerys with its golden eyes. The same golden eyes that all the direwolves had, except for Shaggydog, who had eerie green eyes. "Taly!" Rickon exclaimed.

The small boy crashed into Taelerys, wrapping his small arms around her waist. Taelerys laughed once. "Hello, Rickon." she replied, before quickly changing the subject. "Hey, is this Sansa's direwolf?"

Rickon giggled once with a mischievous smile on his face. He was missing one of his front teeth. "Yes."

Taelerys was immensely confused. She examined the collar around the grey direwolf's neck. It was the grey and blue stitched collar that Sansa had made for Lady. Indeed, this was Lady, alive and well. "I thought Lord Stark killed her," breathed Taelerys.

"Lord Stark released her into the wild, Lady went with Nymeria for awhile, but the two went down different paths," Rickon explained thoroughly. "Lady came all the way home to wait for Sansa since she knew it wouldn't be safe in King's Landing."

Taelerys let out an amused laugh, petting Lady on her head. She began panting with happiness at the prospect of it. "How would you know that? Nymeria is in the wild."

Rickon shook his head of rugged red curls. "No, I saw it in my dreams. Sometimes I can go into Shaggy's body."

When Taelerys stopped stroking Lady by her big perked ears, the direwolf lightly nipped her on the shoulder, demanding to be petted more. Taelerys roughly scratched Lady behind the ears before standing up. "You're a funny boy," Taelerys smiled, merely brushing it off as Rickon having a playful imagination. Lady Stark had probably received a letter about Lady from Lord Stark, and Rickon decided to make a funny tale out of it. At least Sansa would soon be relieved to hear of Lady's survival. Taelerys was already feeling better knowing that. She noticed Lady trotting closely by her side. Taelerys snickered once with contentment. Now, she had to see Lady Catelyn, as well as checking up on Bran.

"Taly? You're back awfully soon," came the voice of Maester Luwin. He strode towards Taelerys dressed in his grey robes, and slightly hunched from being of old age. Taelerys gave him a warm smile before embracing him like he was her grandfather. "What? Aren't you happy to see me, Maester Luwin?" Taelerys joked.

The maester let out a chuckle at that, patting Taelerys on the back. "Of course not, dear. I'm glad you came, actually, we could use an extra hand."

Talelerys nodded once. "How is Lady Stark and Bran?" she inquired, walking through the muddy courtyard alongside him.

"Not well, I'm afraid," Maester Luwin admitted with a sigh. "With Vayon Poole gone to King's Landing, we have no steward. It has been three weeks and Bran still hasn't awakened. We have no master of horses among numerous other appointments. Robb is completely overwhelmed at the moment and Lady Stark is gone."

"Still distressed by Bran, I bet," Taelerys reminded him. "But, are you sure I should be doing this? I'm not the Lord of Winterfell."

After coming inside, Maester Luwin brought Taelerys to the study where her desk and chair were. He handed Taelerys a sheet of paper with names on it. "No, but someday you will be Lady of Winterfell and this might be expected of you in the event that Robb can't do it." Maester Luwin informed her. It wasn't just the paperwork or appointments that Taelerys dreaded, it was being Robb's betrothed._ I love Jon, _Taelerys thought sadly to herself. She merely nodded to the elderly maester. Taelerys scanned over the list of names. "These are good men," she stated. "I will appoint these people to take the now vacant offices Winterfell has."

"I'll also need you to figure out the expenses for the royal visit?"

Taelerys looked at the maester, completely bewildered by what he said. "It's been a month and the debt still hasn't been paid for?"

"Correct," Maester Luwin answered, with a grim look on his face. T_hese past few weeks must have been tiring on him,_ Taelerys noted to herself. "I would like to see Lady Catelyn and Robb."

"When I said Lady Catelyn was gone, I didn't mean 'gone' as in mentally absent. Although she certainly has for the past three weeks. I mean that Lady Catelyn is not here."

Her violet eyes narrowed. "Where is she?"

"Headed to King's Landing. It is a long story, I will have Lord Robb explain it to you," Maester Luwin replied. "In the meantime, please get started on this, that would be most kind."

Maester Luwin bowed his head before departing.

Taelerys sat down in her wooden chair. _What could possibly be more important to Lady Catelyn than being beside the bedside of her your dying son?_ Taelerys didn't understand that. That caused her to have an especially hard time concentrating on the financial records.

* * *

It wasn't until dinner that Taelerys actually got to see Robb and the remaining household. Robb arrived in the dining hall before her plate of food. The other ward Theon Greyjoy along with Hallis Mollen, a muscular guardsman with a square brown beard, appeared beside him. Mollen was the new captain of the guard, Maester Luwin had said. Robb was dressed in boiled leather and ringmail and a sword hung at his waist. "So what exactly as been going on since I've been gone?" Taelerys questioned. "Has everything just gone to shit?"

Robb sat across from her at the table. "There was an assassination attempt on Bran's life a few days ago."

Taly nearly fell out of the bench chair upon hearing this. "By _who?"_ she asked, baffled as to why someone would want to kill an unconscious crippled young boy who might not even wake up. Robb exchanged worried looks with Theon and Hallis before turning back to Taelerys. "We believe it was an assassin sent by the Lannisters."

"That accusation won't sit well with the queen, even if it is true," Taelerys pointed out. She believed Robb right then and there, after seeing how Tywin had mercilessly allowed her family to be slaughtered. Taelerys knew it was very likely. "Do you have any proof?"

"A Valyrian steel blade and we found a few long strands of blond hair in the tower that Bran fell off of."

Taelerys immediately thought of Cersei. Her long flowing blond hair along with those vindictive green eyes of hers. "So, Bran must have seen something that he wasn't supposed to see," Taelerys theorized. "And was pushed out off the tower. I thought there was something fishy about that. Bran is, or at least was, too good of a climber to just fall like that."

"What I am about to tell you must not leave this room," Robb told them. "I want your oaths on that. If even part of what I suspect is true, Ned and my sisters have ridden into deadly danger, and a word in the wrong ears could mean their lives."

"Lord Eddard is like a father to me," said Taelerys. "I do so swear."

"My aunt Lysa believes the Lannisters murdered her husband, Lord Arryn, the Hand of the King," Robb confided to her. "The Kingslayer did not join the hunt the day Bran fell. He remained here in the castle. My mother has ridden to King's Landing to inform my father and hopefully get down to the bottom of this."

"I'll kill him myself!" Taelerys hissed, stabbing the mahogany table with her knife. The three men just looked at her until Taelerys turned red with embarrassment at her brash outburst. "Or I could just leave it up to you and Lady Stark."

Robb couldn't help but lightly smile at Taelerys. She was the most spirited, and no doubt, beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Taelerys only seemed to have eyes for his bastard half-brother though, which Robb didn't entirely mind. Taelerys always had a way of making Jon happy. Somehow, Robb felt that he couldn't intrude on any of that. Robb felt something rubbing against his legs. At first, Robb thought it was Grey Wind, but it was just Lady.

"The Kingslayer and the same Lannisters that murdered my family made your brother a cripple," Taelerys said simply, before gritting her teeth. "I want their heads on spikes."

"Taelerys," Hallis chided her.

"I want revenge and I want them to suffer as much as I have. As much as Bran has. Is that a bad thing?"

"Seems fair to me," Robb interjected, reaching out and petting Grey Wind's thick fur. "But we will wait for the verdict before we go killing anybody."

"Justice never prevails," Taelerys told him. "I've lived in King's Landing, I know this."

* * *

"You have got to be shitting me, Robb."

"No, I am not shitting you, Taelerys." Robb said, a smirk forming at her harsh language. He admired how unladylike Taelerys was.

"Bran was almost assassinated by Jaime Lannister and now you welcome his imp brother behind our walls?" Taelerys listed at Robb. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, if he tries anything, I'll have him thrown out." Robb simply replied.

_"Thrown out?"_ Taelerys complained. "Robb, this is a Lannister! His kind murdered my family and now has nearly killed one of your own!"

"We don't know that yet and be reasonable, I can't kill the king's brother."

_But, his brother could kill the king and get away with it,_ Taelerys thought bitterly to herself. She sat back in her seat next to Robb, the acting Lord of Winterfell. It was her place as his betrothed to have a seat and a say at his side. "Hodor!" announced a voice, the huge stable boy smiling widely and holding Bran in his arms. Bran was not smiling. "Who is it?" Bran asked in a bored tone.

"Tyrion Lannister wishes to speak with you, Bran." Robb informed his brother. Taelerys noticed that Hodor was nearly seven feet tall. It was hard to believe that he was the same blood as Old Nan, who was just a shriveled up old lady. Upon Tyrion's arrival, things did not get any easier.

"Any man of the Night's Watch is welcome here at Winterfell for as long as he wishes to stay," Robb was saying with the voice of the Lord of Winterfell. There was only antagonism in his tone, Taelerys could feel it, and reveled in it. Taelerys hated all Lannisters.

"Any man of the Night's Watch," the imp repeated, "but not me, do I take your meaning, boy?"

"I am the lord here while my mother and father are away, Lannister. I am not your boy." Robb hissed at Tyrion.

"If you are a lord, you might learn a lord's courtesy," the little man replied, ignoring the glowering look from Robb and Taelerys. "Your bastard brother has all your father's graces, it would seem."

_"Jon,"_ Taelerys and Jon gasped once together. The dwarf turned to look at him. "So it is true, the boy lives. I could scarce believe it. You Starks are hard to kill."

"You Lannisters had best remember that," Robb warned.

Tyrion showed Bran a contraption he made just for the boy. A specially structured saddle that would allow him to ride a horse again. Bran could see he was eager to try horseback riding again, but at the same time didn't want to get his hopes up only for them to be dashed away. Taelerys didn't understand this Lannisters compassion towards Bran. _He's just trying to be clever,_ Taly thought.

Robb Stark seemed just as puzzled. "Is this some trap, Lannister? What's Bran to you? Why should you want to help him?"

"Your brother Jon asked it of me. And I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things." Tyrion Lannister placed a hand over his heart and grinned. Taelerys exchanged a disgusted glance with Tyrion before looking away. _When I find out which Lannister tried to kill Bran, I will run Blackfyre through them._ Taelerys thought coldly to herself. _And avenge both of my families._


	11. Family, Duty, Honor

The next visitor after Tyrion was a man named Yoren from the Night's Watch, Ser Alliser Thorne's bane. Taelerys recalled that House Thorne were Targaryen loyalists during Robert's Rebellion. Ser Alliser had been sent to the Night's Watch for that in order to avoid being executed. Yoren looked a little emotionally weary when approaching the table. "What is it?" Bran asked, sensing it as well.

"There's hard news, m'lords and m'lady, and a cruel way to pay you for your meat and mead, but the man as asks the question must bear the answer. Benjen Stark's gone." Yoren explained.

Taly's eyes widened. "Ben is gone? What happened?"

Fear and worry immediately struck her. _No._ Taelerys thought. _This can't be happening. Poor Jon._

She wondered how Jon was taking all of this. One of the other men said, "The Old Bear sent him out to look for Waymar Royce, and he's late returning, my lord."

"Too long," Yoren informed them. "Most likely he's dead."

"My uncle is not dead," Robb Stark said loudly, anger in his tone. He rose from the bench and laid his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Do you hear me? My uncle is not dead!" His voice rang against the stone walls, and Taelerys was suddenly afraid. She grabbed Robb's hand. "Robb," Taly said in a warning voice, letting him know that he should calm down. "Please."

Old ragged Yoren looked up at Robb, unimpressed. "Whatever you say, m'lord," he shrugged. The youngest of the black brothers shifted uncomfortably in his stance. "There's not a man on the Wall knows the haunted forest better than Benjen Stark. He'll find his way back." He tried to assure them.

"Well," said Yoren, scratching his rough beard. "Maybe he will and maybe he won't. Good men have gone into those woods before, and never come out."

"Uncle Ben is not gone, he is the blood of the last hero that defeated the Others, hunted through the white woods by dead men and spiders big as hounds!" Bran blurted out, "The children of the forest will help him!"

Theon Greyjoy snickered with a wide grin on his face before Taelerys silenced him with a look. As ridiculous of a story as the Others even existing was, it helped Bran coop with his already difficult situation. _There's nothing like a little imagination to lift our spirits,_ Taelerys reminded to herself. How she wished she could have a dragon so that it could rain fire upon all Lannisters.

Maester Luwin let out a sigh, "Bran, the children of the forest have been dead and gone for thousands of years. All that is left of them are the faces in the trees."

Bran had a firm scowl on his face. "Dragons were real and magical creatures, why aren't the Others?"

Yoren turned to leave, before muttering out an "Oh!" and approaching Taelerys. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Taly, who was a little confused by it. "It's from Jon," Yoren stated. "I ain't no one's messenger bird, but I agreed to personally give it to you since Benjen Stark was his uncle and a member of the Night's Watch."

Taelerys smiled up at Yoren. "Thank you, sir. Please, send Jon my love."

Every eye in the room was suddenly on Taelerys and as much as she regretted saying that, she didn't. "I ain't kissin' him if that's what ya mean," Yoren said, before bowing and promptly departing to the hall.

* * *

_'Taly_

_So much has happened. I would say that I am well, but that would be a lie. I knew what I was signing up for when I joined the Night's Watch. I think of you everyday whenever I sit by the fire or stand watch on the Wall during those cold nights. The warm fire reminds me of you. I can make it through the day because of its warmth. But, the winter isn't nearly as cold as Ser Alliser."_

Taelerys couldn't help but grin and snicker to herself when reading that. _At least he hasn't lost his sense of humor,_ Taelerys thought to herself, before going back to Jon's letter.

_'Sorry I had to keep this letter short. Maester Aemon was kind enough to let me use a raven to send to you. How is Bran doing? Has he awakened yet? Please tell him that I'm sorry he couldn't be there to see me off to the Wall. I promise to be there by his nameday. I'll also be there for yours._

_Jon.'_

Taelerys fiddled around with the tin snowflake bracelet Jon had the local blacksmith make for her. That was his departing gift to her. She vowed never to take it off as long as she lived. Taelerys curled up the small and fragile letter from Jon. Picking up the large wooden board with a pen and paper, Taelerys began rapidly writing back to Jon. I should also make a letter for Arya and Lord Stark, Taelerys thought to herself. As Taelerys dipped the quill into the ink, she felt something very furry and wet poke at her neck. Taelerys turned around to see Summer sitting behind her. "Hey boy, how are you?" Taelerys asked, as if the animal could reply back.

Summer grumbled slightly. The dark grey direwolf leaned over her shoulder, as if it were reading Taelerys's letter. After about thirty minutes of sitting under the weirwood tree and writing, Taelerys packed up her things before returning to Winterfell with Summer. After having the cooks prepare supper, Taelerys decided to visit Bran and took a trey for the both of them. She entered Bran's room with Summer pouncing onto the bed. Immediately, Bran awoke with a startle. The direwolf was panting heavily in front of his master. Taelerys had a slightly bemused look on her face. "Rise and shine, Bran," she teased the little Stark, even though it was well into the evening. Bran didn't say anything back immediately. His brown eyes were lost in thought. Taelerys set the large brass food trey on the bedside table, making it wobble slightly. Roasted pork and gravy with boiled carrots, potatoes, beets, and a small wheat bread roll. She handed Bran his cup of milk while Taelerys poured herself a goblet of Arbor cranberry vodka. "Taly, were you in the weirwood forest today?" Bran asked.

Her eyes rose from her plate with surprise. "Yes," Taelerys answered, taking a big gulp of the alcohol. Taelerys missed the stinging drowsiness that relieved her of everything. Before she could go into further detail, Bran then asked, "Were you writing a letter to Jon?"

Taelerys froze when he said that, slowly lowering the goblet from her mouth with narrowed eyes. She was confused by how Bran had known that. He was in bed and asleep the entire time that Taelerys was away. Perhaps Maester Luwin told Bran, Taelerys reassured herself.

"Yes," she replied. "Did Maester Luwin tell you?"

Bran shook his head. "I was in Summer's body while I was sleeping, I saw you writing under the weirwood tree,"

Taelerys looked at him with raised eyebrows. He couldn't possibly expect her to believe that. "Oh really?" Taelerys nearly laughed, deciding to play along. "And what was I writing then?"

"A letter to Jon, father, and Arya." He simply answered

There was no way Bran could've possibly known that. This was beginning to disturb her and Taelerys had enough of that these past few weeks. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Eat your food, Bran." she simply said, irritating him that she just suddenly changed the subject. After a couple of rough breathes, Bran slid down into his bed. The food trey attached to his bed hovering over him. It was silent for the remainder of dinner. Bran refused to touch his food while Taelerys cleaned up her plate. "Jon won't be coming to my nameday," Bran then informed her.

She looked back at him with her eyes as wide as the plates. Maester Luwin couldn't have shown Bran the letters, she watched him send the ravens himself. Taelerys was too stunned and confused to say anything. "What do you mean?" Taelerys stuttered. "Of course he will, Bran."

"He won't be coming," Bran repeated in his monotone voice. "I saw it with my own eyes."

Taelerys didn't know how Bran knew she was at the weirwood tree writing letters, but did recall that Summer was there. He couldn't possibly have been telling the truth could he? Taelerys wondered. She felt disappointment in herself for believing Bran. After all, she had found two dragon eggs and the Dark Fay from Aegon's Vault.

* * *

An arrow hit the practice target with a_ thud._ It was a bull's eye. Theon strode past Taelerys with a cocky grin on his face. She ignored him before drawing an arrow on the bow. After steadying it, Taelerys was about to fire until another arrow hit the target in the near exact same place. Theon began laughing loudly, before covering his mouth. Taelerys let out an irritated sigh. They were both wards of Lord Stark and yet Taelerys could hardily stand Theon sometimes. "Do you really?" Taelerys asked, not amused. "Just for once, can you stop showing off?" She then shouted.

Theon wiped his red face. "I am a show off, that's what I do." he countered. Taelerys now regretted ever taking up his offer on practicing archery, though the gods knew she needed it. Of course he would be all smug about it like Theon Greyjoy always was. Taelerys was going to have to find a new archery teacher. She winced once at the thought. She found that Jon Snow was a far superior teacher at archery and swordsmanship than Theon ever was. _And he wasn't an ass about it like Theon is,_ Taelerys reflected. _He was a good instructor too, especially when he got shy around me._

The thought of Jon accidentally placing a sword in the quiver made her smile. He had been so entranced by her that he hadn't been paying attention. It was more memories like those that Taelerys longed for. But she doubted that they would ever be again. Taelerys had no choice but to accept it.

Bran and Maester Luwin were seated at a table behind Taelerys and Theon. Bran was supposed to be studying but couldn't keep his eyes off Theon's target practice. The crippled boy longed to stand and practice archery. "Bran," Maester Luwin said, tapping a pointer on a map of Westeros.

"The Iron Islands. Sigil–a kraken. Words–'we do not sow'." Bran answered in a bored tone. He was scrapping the wooden table with the tin fish, the sigil of his mother's family, House Tully.

"Lords?" Maester Luwin asked.

"The Greyjoys."

Theon turned around with a smile on his face. "Famed for their skills at archery, navigation and lovemaking."

Taelerys fired an arrow, hitting the bulls eye and knocking Theon's arrow out of the target. "And failed rebellions." she added, causing Theon to glare at her. Maester Luwin tapped the map again. "Sigil–a stag–a crowned stag now that Robert's King." Bran explained. Upon hearing the description, Taelerys shifted uncomfortably in her stance. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Theon, who promptly smiled at the Targaryen. "Words–ours is the fury. Lords–the Baratheons." Bran finished.

_Ours is the fury._ A truly fitting motto for Robert Baratheon's house. _Nothing could compare to the fury of the Usurper,_ Taelerys thought bitterly to herself. He hated all Targaryens, seeing them as being no different from her brother Rhaegar or the Mad King. That made Robert Baratheon no better than those he hated.

Maester Luwin nodded. "Good."

"The Westerlands–sigil–a lion. Words–A Lannister always pays his debts." Bran continued.

Taelerys then dreaded having to practice archery while listening to this wretched lesson. Did Maester Luwin not recognize that the Baratheons and Lannisters brutally murdered her family? Or did he not care? Taelerys had enough to put up with already. Theon was already irritating her enough as it was.

"No. A common saying, but not their official motto." Maester Luwin corrected.

Bran continued as if he had said nothing. "Lords–the Lannisters."

"We're still on their words."

"I don't know them." Bran said stubbornly.

"You do know them. Think."

"Unbowed, unbent, unbroken."

Taelerys broke in. "That's House Martell's words." she interrupted, firing another arrow. It hit the second ring of the target.

"Righteous in wrath," Bran then said. He wasn't even trying anymore at this point.

"House Hornwood."

"Family, duty, honor".

Maester Luwin let out a sigh with displeasure. "Those are Tully words...your mother's. Are we playing a game?"

Bran continued to carve into the table with the tin Tully marker. There was a small pile of wooden shaving beside him. The boy was clearly bitter over his mother leaving. " 'Family, duty, honor'...is that the right order?" Bran wondered aloud.

"You know it is."

"Family comes first?"

"Your mother had to leave Winterfell to protect the family." Maester Luwin reminded him, catching onto what Bran had been implying.

"How can she protect the family, if she's not with her family?" he scowled. Bran continued to argue with the Maester while Taelerys and Theon could only listen. They exchanged a few glances at each other before silently finishing up their archery practice.

If only Bran knew.


	12. Only the Beginning

Taly couldn't understand where she was. Was this the Red Keep? It was strange, for the most part, she had forgotten that most of my family was murdered in the Red Keep. Maybe it was because Taelerys was already preoccupied with things. She had come to a dangerous place, and winter was coming. But, didn't understand how she was in King's Landing if she was back in Winterfell. That was when she saw Lord Stark walking across the street. Was that Ned and Jory with Littlefinger? The three men walked into a brothel. Taly was unable to move to her own accord. Someone else was doing that for her. It was as if she were floating,_ no,_ flying.

Was Lord Stark going to break his marriage vows to Lady Catelyn again? She gritted her teeth in anger. Taelerys would not allow Ned to break her lady's heart again. Somehow Taelerys got into the brothel. No one seemed to notice her and even Taelerys had no idea what was going on. How she got there or why she was there. She didn't feel like she was in her own body. Taly felt like she was an invisible pair of eyes.

There were naked women walking around everywhere. The moans and cries of the whores and their customers having orgasms was not music to her ears at all. Taelerys could hear someone talking behind a curtain of beads. "Mhaegan is the mother of one of Robert Baratheon's bastards. The little one is named Barra. Such a beautiful thing." a prostitute said to another.

_Why was that important?_ Taelerys wondered. _What the fuck is going on?_

There was a commotion coming from outside and immediately Taelerys felt herself pulled to the front of the brothel. The street was now filled with soldiers with Ned, Jory, Petyr, and Wyl. They all wore chain mail over leather, gauntlets, greaves, and steel helms with golden lion crests. Their cloaks were white and clung to their backs. There were at least ten men at his flank. Taelerys could feel a wave of disgust come over her. Littlefinger stepped forward. "What is the meaning of this? This is the Hand of the King."

"He _was_ the Hand of the King," The line parted for a man riding a stallion. On a golden breastplate was a blazing lion of the Lannister house. The man removed his helmet, revealing his long blond locks of hair. "Now, if truth be told, I'm not sure what he is."

It was Jaime Lannister.

_Lord Stark isn't the Hand no more?_ Taelerys wondered.

Jaime began laughing, taking off his riding gloves. "Apparently, Ned Stark has a heart for all pathetic forms of life. He resigned after Robert ordered the death of the Mad King's two children across the Narrow Sea," he said, rather cheerfully. Taelerys could feel her naturally flaming heart immediately freeze in place. _Viserys? Daenerys? Dead? It can't be!_ If she could feel her blood right now, Taelerys knew it would be simmering. But, she knew that she was not inhabiting a body.

She was just there. Watching.

Petyr Baelish was not at all pleased. "Let us pass, we are expected back at the castle. This is madness, Lannister."

Jaime merely smiled. "The only madness here is your wife, Lord Stark. I'm looking for my brother. You remember him don't you? He was with us at Winterfell. Fair-haired, sharp of tongue, very short."

"I remember him well," Ned replied.

"It would seem he has met some trouble on the road. Your lady has taken my brother hostage. Catelyn is to be brought here to answer for her treasonous crimes,"

_Catelyn kidnapped Tyrion Lannister?_ Whatever Lady Stark was planning, Taelerys knew this would only mean war with the Lannisters. Perhaps she could avenge her fallen family after all with a war. Taelerys then focused at the situation she was seeing.

"Your brother was taken at my command, to answer for his crimes." Ned stated. Littlefinger groaned in dismay as all the soldiers instantly had their swords drawn. "Lord Baelish, I would leave here in some haste if I did not care to get bloodstains on my costly clothing."

Littlefinger did not have to be told twice. He immediately walked back inside the brothel. Jaime drew his own sword. At first, Taelerys thought he was pointing it at her and immediately became scarred. But, soon realized that he was pointing it at her lord. "Draw your steel." Jaime ordered.

Eyes watched from all nearby windows and doors, but no one was going to intervene. There were a few moments of silence as Jaime stared through Taelerys. _They can't see me,_ Taelerys noted. _Why?_

The Lannister guards awaited any order. "Kill his men, but do not harm Lord Stark." Jaime ordered. "I'll take him myself."

"No!" Ned screamed, grabbing his sword. Men closed in from all sides. Jory and the other man named Wyl fought their way through the Lannister men. Wyl was overwhelmed by two guards restraining him, while the other was going to stab him. Ned rammed the blade into the Lannister guard's throat, before coating it with the other. The soldiers fell to the ground, choking on the blood pouring from the hole in their necks. Wyl broke free and slashed the other Lannister soldier across the chest. Taelerys noticed Jaime swiftly walking towards Jory, who was caught up in a sword fight against three Lannister soldiers. Jory didn't notice Jaime. _"Jory!"_ Taelerys tried to cry out. _"Watch out! Behind you! Turn around! TURN AROUND!"_

Jory did not hear her. The moment he turned around, it was too late. Jaime had already stabbed a dagger through Jory's eye, the blade exiting through the back of his head. Jory dropped his sword and his body twitched a few times, before slumping over dead onto the ground. Blood began to pool by his head. _"No!"_ Taelerys screamed with terror. Not that they could hear her screams. Wyl charged at Jaime, enraged at the death of his friend. That was the worst mistake he ever made. And it costed him his life. Wyl slumped over beside Jory and Jaime was smiling. Ned limped over to the bodies of his fallen comrades. It seemed to take years for him to do. There was blood gushing from Ned's leg from the spear stuck in it. Taelerys also saw some bone sticking out. The gold cloaks surrounded an injured Ned Stark.

"My lord!" cried out Taelerys, so desperate to help him. There was nothing she could do in this strange form. Before she could see the scene continued to unfold, everything was melting. The brothel, the horses, the people, and Lord Stark, all their faces became one as they disintegrated into fire. This was no ordinary fire, for it even made the very air ablaze with it. Taelerys recognized that sick shade of green from anywhere.

This was wildfire.

_I knew I should've left those wildfire containers in Aegon's Vault!_ Taelerys thought, overcome with hysteria. _What was I thinking?_

Taelerys looked down to see her bare feet. She was puzzled, Taelerys didn't have feet before, nor her body. Now, Taelerys stood naked, clumsy with fear in this raging fire. Before Taelerys could do anything more, a strong and bony hand grabbed her wrist. She felt something sharp scratch and poke at her bare thigh. At first, Taelerys thought someone was brushing a blade along her side. But, it wasn't, they were nails that were a foot long. "No," Taelerys breathed, looking up in horror.

There was only one person she knew with disgusting yellow and overgrown nails like that. The moment she dared to look up was when Taelerys saw her father, Aerys Targaryen, standing before her, gripping her hand harshly. Taelerys let out a shriek and snatched her hand away from him. She stumbled and fell backwards into the flame. Taly wanted nothing more than to run away, but her body seemed thick and weak. His dark purple eyes refracted the sick green color of the flames. Taelerys remembered that distinctly about her father, the Mad King.

"F-Father," Taly stammered. "No! You're dead!"

Aerys immediately grabbed Taelerys, hitting her repeatedly, just like he did with her mother, Rhaella. Her poor and sweet mother who was now dead. "No...no...no one can kill me, Taelerys," Aerys began in a soft voice, before his dark purple eyes went wide with madness. He held his arms high in the air with wonder. "I am the true dragon!" Aerys then screamed. "No one can kill the true dragon!"

She closed her eyes and cried. All Taelerys wanted was for Lord Stark to be here. Or to have Blackfyre, so she may plunge it into the heart of her father. As if to answer, there was a loud ripping sound and the crackling of the fire. When she opened her eyes Aerys was gone, three great columns of flame rose before her, and in the midst of them were dragons. Taelerys couldn't count how many, there were too many of them. They turned their great heads slowly. When their molten eyes found hers, she woke, shaking and covered in sweat.

She wasn't in King's Landing. It wasn't on fire. Her father Aerys wasn't there. Nor were those dragons. It was just a dream. Taelerys sat in her bed for a few minutes, shivering and overwhelmed by that dream. _It felt too real to be a dream and yet it was._

Taelerys threw the covers off and headed to the bathing room to prepare a bath. None of the maids were up yet. After warming up a huge cauldron of water, Taelerys basically sat inside it after removing the large pot from the stove. Water was said to be holy and cleansing, but Taelerys didn't believe that. It was fire is truly cleansing. Something can only truly be cleansed once it is destroyed. From the ashes, arise a new day. _There were so many dragons,_ Taelerys noted. The only dragons she could distinctly make out were the two front ones. Black and white.

Just like her two dragon eggs.

* * *

Aside from helping Robb and Maester Luwin out with the chores and duties as future Lady of Winterfell, Taelerys enjoyed spending time alone in her room. She had her two beautiful dragon eggs, her rare Valyrian texts, and her candles. Although the ages turned the eggs to stone, they were beautiful to look at. Taelerys had too many questions about their existence. How could they have gone unnoticed in the vault for so long? How could she even have Blackfyre?

Taelerys got hit a good one on the back of the legs by Theon's blunt of his blade. "Ow!" she exclaimed, nearly falling over in the mud. Theon burst out into laughter. "What's the matter, Taly? Thinking about Jon?" he taunted.

"No, just staring at the sky." Taelerys muttered, in no mood for Theon's games.

"You mean at that cloud that looks like Jon?"

Without a single thought, Taelerys threw her blunted practice sword at Theon, who ducked underneath the table of weapons. The sword flew over his head and knocked a barrel of other practice swords, spilling them across the mud. It was stupid and reckless no doubt, but so was Theon Greyjoy. He looked up at her with a wide grin on his face. "Now, now, Taly," Theon teased. "You could've hurt someone right there."

Ser Rodrik Cassell cleared his throat. Taelerys stood frozen in the thick mud of the courtyard. "Indeed," Ser Rodrik agreed, clearly displeased. "Clean that up."

With a groan, Taelerys did so, scooping up all the muddy swords before placing them into the barrel. Ser Rodrick picked up the last sword and placed it blade first into the barrel. "You two, your presence is required by Robb." he ordered, spinning around to leave. Ser Rodrik then stopped in his tracks and sniffed loudly a few times. "Taly, you smell terrible."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I've been out here for an hour or so practicing with a sword," Taelerys pointed out. "Did you expect me to smell like roses?"

The master-at-arms let out a chuckle before marching away to see Robb. As he was passing, Ser Rodrik stopped one of the servant girls that Taelerys had ordered to draw a warm bath. "Use all the salts," he told her. _"All of them."_

Theon let out a burst of laughter, being led away by Ser Rodrick. Taelerys' face turned a bright red with anger. "I'm not that dirty!" she exclaimed with outrage. That old man sure loved to poke fun at Taelerys, ever since she was a child that had arrived in Winterfell.

Seventeen years later, Ser Rodrick had not let up.

"And make sure she scrubs herself!" Theon added with a joyful laugh.

Taly angrily threw her sword into the barrel. "I know how to take a fucking bath!" she shrieked at him, not caring if she was swearing and talking out of turn. All things weren't proper for a lady.

* * *

"Woohoo!" Bran cried out, riding his horse Dancer in circles around the courtyard. Taelerys was mildly annoyed that she was forced to take a bath only to get dirty again by going horse back riding. Robb and Theon climbed atop their own horses. Taelerys readied her horse named Flame, a beautiful reddish-brown mare that reminded her of the fires of her House.

"Let's go," Robb told them.

The three of them galloped through the gates and into the woods. Up to now, Taelerys had been helping Bran get used to the special saddle Tyrion Lannister made for him. She was surprised by how compassionate and helpful the imp had been. He was also quite smart and charming, in his own unique way. Not at all like his other family members. Tyrion's device had finally brought a smile on Bran's face. For the first time in a couple of months, Bran looked so happy.

"Hey, not so fast, Bran!" Taelerys hollered.

She heard Robb and Theon chuckle from behind her, bringing their horses to a gentle trot. They reached a tall, grassy plain where Bran had Dancer sprint across it. Summer and Grey Wind came lopping beside them. The horses had long grown accustomed to having the direwolves with them.

They rode through the muddy streets of two villages, along the rows of neat houses of log and stone, passing through common people, and finally, into the murky forest. With Robb and Theon talking in the back, Taelerys decided to catch up to Bran to make sure he didn't get into any trouble. _Starks always cause trouble,_ Taelerys squeezed her legs around Flame, forcing the horse into a gallop.

"Bran!" Taelerys hollered. "Bran, where are you? You have to stay in our sight, remember?"

The only reply she got back was the loud chirping of a bird. Almost immediately, Dancer jumped out from a tall bush, almost crashing into Taelerys and Flame. Summer bolted out of the bushes as well, right after his master. Both were so startled that Flame whined loudly and flung Taelerys from the saddle. She landed on the dirt ground from her seven foot fall. Her back felt like it had split in half upon hitting an tree root. The wind was knocked out right out of her lungs. Pain splintered throughout her body like ice, making it impossible for her to breathe. "Taly!" Bran cried out, pulling the reigns on Dancer.

Taelerys let out a long groan as she heard the gentle trot of Dancer approach. Bran looked down upon her with worry. The boy would've gotten down to help her, if he wasn't paralyzed. "Are you okay?" he exclaimed.

The snout of Summer peered over Taelerys, before starting to lick her face. Taelerys shoved his muzzle out of her face with annoyance. Taelerys rolled over and used her knees as support to push herself up onto her feet. She rubbed her now aching back. "Are you _trying_ to cripple me too?" she nearly hissed. "You're lucky I didn't break anything!"

_Not that I can break you, Bran,_ Taelerys thought with sorrow. _Even if you weren't already broken, I couldn't and wouldn't._

Bran fringed his lips, noticing Robb and Theon's approach. "I'm really sorry! please don't say anything to Robb," he begged. "He won't let me ride again."

Taelerys bent over to pick up Blackfyre, which had fallen from her waist upon being thrown off her horse. Bran managed to lean over in his buckled saddle to pull a couple of leaves from Taelerys's now messy, silver hair. The three braids streaking across the side of her head had fallen apart. Although Taelerys was angry at Bran for being reckless and startling her like that, it was hard to stay angry at the boy. He lost his legs and finally has a way to move around, Taelerys reminded herself. Of course he's going to take advantage of that.

"Brandon Stark, I know this is exciting for you, but if you want to keep on riding then be more careful," Taelerys scolded, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. "I could've broken my back or worse, possibly even broke my neck and died."

The boy's dark coarse hair covered the side of his face as he looked away with shame. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again," Bran said. He was being completely serious. Taelerys knew that because he would look at the ground or at his feet when he lied. Since Bran was being remorseful, Taelerys decided it was time to let it go and move on. Robb and Theon kept their distance. They were talking to each other in the distance. Taelerys rubbed Dancer's wet snout, who puffed loudly in her face. "Alright, you can keep riding, but stay close this time," Taelerys grabbed the reigns, forcing Bran to look her in the eye. "Okay?"

"Okay," Bran promised with a nod.

"And don't ride so fast," Taelerys added. "Any faster and you would've been flying."

Bran's brown eyes then gazed at the ground. Dancer whimpered once, shaking his head. "Flying," he muttered. _"Flying."_

There was a peculiar look on Bran's face. Almost like he was happy she said that, but at the same time, seemed to recognize what she had just said. As if it were remembering a familiar face. Taelerys didn't know why it bothered her, but it struck her as odd. Bran then smiled at Taelerys as he forced Dancer onto a path into the forest. Taelerys grabbed the reigns to Flame before heading towards Theon and Robb. Now her back was going to be killing her when the morning came. She already knew that bruises were forming in the places where her back throbbed. Robb had a grim look on his face, reading a small letter in his hands. "What is it?" Taelerys inquired.

"A raven arrived from King's Landing this morning with this letter," Robb sounded sad, although he tried to hide it. "Taly, I need to tell you something."

"Yes, what is it?" Taelerys felt sudden dread. "Is it about Lady Catelyn? Is she coming home?"

Robb shook his curly red hair. "No. Jory Cassel is dead. And Wyl and Heward along with a couple more of our men. Murdered by the Kingslayer." Robb said with his throat tightening, lowering the letter.

Taelerys's amethyst eyes widened with horror. Just like the dream, she remembered. The image of Jaime stabbing Jory through the eye. The blade piercing through the back of his head. Dark wings, dark words, Old Nan had always said. Ravens had always been the messengers of death. As of late, this was proving to be true. Taelerys swallowed once, trying to overcome her shock. She breathed to calm herself.

"Did the Kingslayer...stab him through the head?" Taelerys asked, her voice so low that it sounded like a mumbler.

Robb and Theon looked to each other once. "Yes, how did you know that?" Robb responded with narrowed eyes.

"And Lord Stark...was he stabbed through the leg with one of the Kingslayer's men?" Taelerys continued on, ignoring his question. "At Petyr Baelish's whore house?"

By now, Robb had grown more and more confused as to how Taelerys had this knowledge. He tried to form words but nothing came out at first. There were too many things he wanted to say. Robb managed to overcome his shock too with a deep breath. "Y-Yes," Robb answered, in a grim tone. "That is correct, Taelerys."

Taelerys didn't know what to say. She felt as if she had been punched in the heart. Taelerys slowly began walking backwards, before tripping over a tree root. "Th-That's impossible though," Taly stammered, shaking her head with disbelief. "I couldn't have..."

Robb narrowed his eyes. "What is?"

"It was just a dream though! I couldn't have known that!" Taelerys nearly exclaimed, growing more and more frantic._ It was real, I had a dream and it came exactly true,_ Taelerys thought. The blade exiting through Jory's skull. Wyl being overrun and gutted by three Lannister men. Lord Stark facing off with the Kingslayer himself, before a spear going through his leg like pork on a stick.

"Taly? What the hell is the matter with you?" Theon shouted. "What's wrong?"

By this time, Robb had gotten off his horse to help the trembling and anxious Taelerys onto her feet. He wrapped an arm her shoulder, comforting her. Completely ignoring the fact that Taelerys had somehow known this before the letter had even arrived, Robb helped calm down Taelerys.

* * *

"You need to make the Lannisters pay for Jory and the others,"

"Taelerys, I promise you, whatever might happen, I will not let this be forgotten," spoke the solemn voice of Robb the Lord of Winterfell. "But, you two are talking about war."

"I'm talking about justice," Theon said.

Taelerys sat with both legs dangling from the left side of Flame, she was busy rebraiding her long white hair. Long hair could get you killed in a fight. "I never said go to war," Taly corrected herself. "I just said make them pay."

Taelerys had already seen a war. All at the tender age of eight years old. The bodies, the blood, the rape, the orphans, and the poverty. No child no should have to go through that. No one should. "Only the Lord of Winterfell can call in the bannermen and raise an army." Robb reminded him.

"A Lannister put his spear through your father's leg. The Kingslayer rides for Casterly Rock where no one can touch him..." Theon said. For once Greyjoy did not smile. His lean, dark face had a hungry look to it, and his brown hair fell down across his eyes.

"Are you barking mad?" Taelerys hissed at him in a low voice. "Marching on Casterly Rock would mean war!"

Taly was careful to make sure that Bran couldn't hear her. Though with how distracted Bran was with riding, the young boy probably couldn't hear them. Theon merely shrugged. "Robb isn't a boy anymore and you certainly aren't a girl anymore. Although you still are a maiden," Taelerys rolled her eyes. "They attacked his father. They've already started the war. It's his duty to represent the House when his father can't."

Flame was starting to stray away, so Taelerys grabbed his reigns before he could go any further. She patted the mare on her auburn snout. "Theon, one's maturity isn't determined by age or the loss of ones virginity. I don't feel like losing my innocence in the local whore house." Taelerys coldly stated to him, earning herself a glare from the Greyjoy. As they continued debating about whether or not to call the banners, Taelerys had wandered off towards a tree.

She sat against it deep in thought while Flame nibbled at some more flowers. Taelerys still pondered on how her dreams had forseen the attack at Littlefinger's brothel. It couldn't have been a coincidence. After several minutes of deep thinking, Robb rushed towards her. "Have you seen Bran?" he nearly exclaimed.

"Shit!" Taelerys cursed aloud, throwing the flowers she had picked to the ground. The two of them ran through the thick bushes and trees to find Bran. When they did manage to find him, upon hearing loud voices, he was surrounded by three wildlings. Actual fucking wildlings. Taelerys had never seen them before but had heard stories. She knew they were wildlings from the way they dressed. These folk were definately not from around here. Robb put a finger to his mouth as he fell into a crouch. Taelerys nodded, silently drawing Blackfyre.

One of the wildlings was cutting off a strap from Bran's leg. "...Imagine what Mance Rayder would give for one of Benjen Stark's blood," the female wildling said.

"Piss on Mance Rayder, and piss on the North. We're going South as far as South goes." Scoffed the male wildling, who had stopped cutting the leather strap. Robb came up from behind, brandishing a sword. "Drop the knife. Let him go and I'll let you live," Robb demanded.

All of them started laughing. The older wildling, the leader from what Taly presumed, stepped forward and spat on the ground at Robb's direction. The second wildling ran towards him holding an ax. He swing at Robb from the side, who ducked, and drived it up from below, missing. He turns around, with the ax in the air, and drived it down to meet Robb's sword. Before the female wildling could gang up on Robb, Taelerys jumped from the bushes with Blackfyre in hand. Caught off guard, the other wildling barely had time to register Taly's attack. Taelerys piveted her sword, pulling the wildling closer, the sword took the wilding ax with it, then swung her sword, driving it through the wildings throat, slitting it. The female came up from behind and hit Robb's back with a broad stick. Robb turned, striking the stick to the ground, causing her to slip, and pulled her to his side, holding her by hair. A third wildling runs up to Taelerys with a sword. She struck the blade away and shoved Blackfyre through the wildling's stomach. The wildling leader pulled Bran from the horse to the ground. He held the knife to his throat, struggling to hold the crippled boy. Summer slid away, snarling, as he tackled the other wildling woman and ravaged her with his fangs. Another ran from the carnage, only to be bitten in the ankle by Grey Wind, who emerged from the wet bank. The wildlings cries were cut off, along with his neck.

"Robb! Taly!" Bran cried.

The wildling looked down at Bran. "Shut up!" he yelled in his grisly voice, before looking up at Robb and Taelerys. "Drop the weapons and stop your beasts!"

Taelerys gritted her teeth with disgust as she dropped Blackfyre to the ground. Robb slowly placed his blade next to hers. He let out a whistle and as if the direwolves understood him, Grey Wind and Summer retreated to his side. Their fangs were still bared, as if they felt the anger themselves.

The middle-aged wildling raised his eyebrows at Blackfyre, then even more upon seeing Taelerys. She held her arms in the air with discomfort of his stare. "A Valyrian sword...and a white-haired bitch?" the wildling said. "Well, isn't that something."

"She must be the Mad King's daughter," the woman wildling interjected, still lying on the ground. "A Targaryen. Blood of the dragon."

"Osha, quick, grab her sword and then kill the beasts with it," spat the wildling man. "It's Valyrian steel!"

"What about the Targaryen? A dragon breathes fire, we need fire to kill the Others." Osha stated. It was awkward for Taelerys and Robb to stand there while the two surviving wildlings debated. The Others? And she didn't literally breathe fire. Taly didn't understand their pecueliar interest in her.

Before they could do anymore, the wildling man gasped. An arrow pierced his chest and he collapsed to the ground, alongside the crippled Bran. Theon came up from behind. He drew another arrow, walking towards Robb and Taly, and pointed it at Osha. She let out a sigh of defeat before dropping her spear once more, arms in the air. Theon continued to hold his arrow in her direction.

Osha glanced around as Stark guardsmen appeared from beneath the trees, steel in hand. She threw down her spear. "Mercy, m'lord," she called to Robb.

As Taelerys knelt to examine the wound on his leg, Bran turned his head. Theon Greyjoy stood beside a sentinel tree, his bow in hand. He was smiling. Ever smiling. A half-dozen arrows were thrust into the soft ground at his feet, but it had taken only one. "A dead enemy is a thing of beauty," he announced. "You didn't do too bad yourself, Taly."

"Of all times to be an ass you chose to be one now?" Taelerys nearly barked at the Greyjoy.

Theon looked offended and surprised by her reaction. "It was meant as a compliment, you should be thanking me for saving your lives."

"What if you had missed the shot?" Robb then said, coming face-to-face with Theon. He was even more angry than Taly was. "What if you'd only wounded him? What if you had made his hand jump, or hit Bran instead? For all you knew, the man might have been wearing a breastplate, all you could see was the back of his cloak. What would have happened to my brother then? Did you ever think of that, Greyjoy?"

Theon's smile was gone. He gave a sullen shrug and began to pull his arrows from the ground, one by one. Robb glared at his guardsmen. "And where were you?" he demanded of them. "I was sure you were close behind us."

The men traded unhappy glances. "We were following, m'lord," said Quent, the youngest of them, his beard a soft brown fuzz. "Only first we waited for Maester Luwin and his ass, begging your pardons, and then, well, as it were..." He glanced over at Theon and quickly looked away, abashed.

"I spied a turkey," Theon said, annoyed by the question.

The two glowered at Theon and the guardsman with disbelief. "I hope it was worth the fucking turkey," Taelerys nearly hissed, stomping away with Flame in tow.


	13. Rekindled

After the fight against the wildlings, which included taking Osha as a prisoner and servant, Taelerys was called by Maester Lewyn for something important. She was handed a letter.

That came across the Dothraki sea.

That could only mean one thing, it was from her siblings who were on the other side of the known world. The letter initially was off to a great start, although a sad one, with Viserys describing his difficult experiences years after the fall of the Targaryens; including the death of their mother Rhaella, including selling her crown, and constantly being on the move or taken advantage of by others. They had been living Pentos with Illyrio for the past couple of years, until Viserys arranged for Daenerys to marry a Dothraki horselord named Khal Drago. Taelerys had to stop there upon reading what Viserys wrote.

_'I would let all forty-thousand Dothraki men and their horses fuck Dany if that's what it took to reclaim my throne.'_ Was what he had written.

Taelerys had to reread that over and over again to make sure it was actually real. Did her own brother actually write that about their own sister? Taelerys certainly wouldn't have sold Viserys or Daenerys or any of the Starks to Dothraki just to reclaim a throne. The letter just got worse from there. Her brother wrote about all the wrongs done to House Targaryen and how the Iron Throne was his by right. Taelerys noted how Viserys left out all of the wrongs done to others by House Targaryen. Viserys even defended their father and all the unwarranted atrocities committed by him. The reasoning's for them were beyond insane. Whether it was intentional or because Viserys was kept in the dark about this, Taelerys herself didn't know. From what she could tell by his pretentious writing, her twin Viserys had these illusions of grandeur and power. A single thought entered her mind.

Her father.

Viserys continued to ramble on with vanity before stating that he forgave Lord Stark for his part in Robert's Rebellion since he cared for Taelerys and expressed rage over the deaths of Elia and her children. Viserys stated that he would allow Lord Stark to take the black when he reclaimed the Iron Throne as opposed to executing him, like he was going to do with all of his other enemies upon returning. He wrote in short detail of his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, merely writing that there were still a great many Houses that would easily volunteer to rise up against the Usurper and that the smallfolk prayed for the return of the dragons, which was completely untrue. Nobody gave a squirt of piss about the Targaryens now that they were gone.

Taelerys lowered the letter, greatly disturbed by what she had read. Viserys must have truly been as mad as their father to have written this. Such disillusionment. A complete lack of compassion or mercy. Viserys also barely mentioned Daenerys aside from the horsefucking thing. A great sadness that Taelerys had not felt in a long time was reopened. The deaths of her family. She often wondered what her life would be like if Taelerys had not hidden in the walls of the Red Keep, and had instead been taken across the Narrow Sea with her immediate family as planned. Taly knew enough about her twin just from this one letter. He was a madman like their father, and her baby sister was in his grasp. Taelerys felt powerless to save Daenerys. But, maybe Daenerys was mad too? For the first time in her life, Taly felt thankful that she wasn't raised alongside her brother. At the same time, immediately felt guilt because she couldn't protect her younger sister.

The whole room was still silent whilst Taelerys took this in. She looked up at Robb with watery eyes. His hands were pressed against the wooden table. "I just thought you should read it," Robb muttered. "After all, it is your letter."

Taelerys let out a sigh, before handing the damn letter back to Maester Luwin. "If the king finds out about this, he'll no doubt skin me alive and think I'm a traitor. We ought to tell Lord Stark and break it down slowly to the king before he does. Then, perhaps he might finally be convinced that I am loyal."

Robb nodded a few times. "King Robert might have..._if he were still alive."_

"What are you talking about?" Taelerys nearly snorted, the thought of the Usurper being dead being infallible to her.

"King Robert died yesterday morning during a hunting trip. He got drunk and killed by a boar." Robb confirmed, handing her another letter. She glanced at it as if it were poison before looking back at Robb. _The Usurper died to a fucking pig?_ The most pathetic ending that Taelerys thought possible. But, she thought it suited the Usurper. He himself was a glutton. So in a way, a pig had been killed by another pig. "I don't want to read another fucking letter," she growled. "Just tell me what the hell is going on."

"Read it," Robb said through clenched teeth. He was getting angry, but not at her. Noticing how upset Robb was about the unknown situation, Taelerys took the letter and scrolled through it.

It was worse than Viserys's letter. Far, far, worse. Taelerys knocked the chair backwards upon standing up. She was so outraged by what she had just read. "Treason?" Taelerys nearly gaped. "I don't believe this! Lord Stark would never do such a thing!" _Without a good reason._

"What's worse is Cersei made Sansa write that too," Theon added.

Robb and the members of his household began discussing on their next plan of action. Taelerys stood absolutely still. Everything was coming back to her now. All at once. The screaming of her niece and nephew before being murdered, the cries of Elia as she was raped, the mangled corpse of her father lying in a pool of blood, Ser Jaime Lannister sitting on the throne with a smile...Joffrey sitting on the throne with a smile. The exact same smile as his uncle. The rage that had long been locked away within Taelerys was now rekindled.

"Robb, the Usurper is dead and your father lies rotting in a dungeon falsely accused of treason, we have to do something about it!" Taelerys seethed. "We can't sit here and do nothing about it!"

Her fingernails dug into the wooden table. All weren't surprised by her passionate anger. Taelerys was always full of fervor when it came to the Starks.

"I agree, I don't think this can be resolved peacefully, Robb," Theon answered honestly. "The Kingslayer has already killed three of our men and now his father lays seige to Riverrun. Without a doubt, the Lannisters are preparing for war as we speak."

Robb thought about it for a few moments, before coming to a final decision. "I will go to King's Landing," the moment he said those words, Taelerys wanted to slap him. Until he finished the last part. "And I will go with all my bannermen." Robb turned to Maester Luwin. "Call in the banners."

With a bow, the Maester exited the room to begin writing the letters and sending the ravens. By this point, Taelerys was trembling. So was Robb. Theon comforted his friend before looking over to Taelerys. Robb placed a gentle hand on his betrothed's shoulder. "You're trembling, Taly," he said. "Don't worry, there's no reason for you to be scared."

Taelerys looked up at him with her mouth pressed tight. Her eyes wide with tears and rage. She swallowed once. "I'm not trembling with fear, Robb." she answered, digging her nails into her hand. "I'm trembling with rage."

Theon had a slightly bemused look on his face, crossing his arms. "She's a dragon, Robb," the Greyjoy reminded him. "They don't get scared, they breathe fire and get even."


	14. Fire and Blood

Taelerys watched from the window of her room as they came. All the bannermen in the North. Their banners and sigils flooded the cold town. She counted all the houses that were here. The flayed man of the Bolton, the Mormont bear, the Manderly merman, the Hornwood moose, the Reed lizard-lion, the chains of Umber, the battle axe of the Cerwyns, the Tallhart trees, the ironwood tree of the Forresters, and lastly the white sunburst on black of the Karstarks. Thousands of men just outside the gates of the Winterfell castle. Taelerys wished to join them, being trained in swordsmanship and archery alongside Robb, Jon, and Theon. Taly knew that was highly unlikely though. She was Robb's betrothed and the only Targaryen in Westeros.

Taly shivered from the bitter breeze that blew through the open window. She put on an extra shirt with a high collar. On her lap were her two dragon eggs. They were the only things that could comfort her these past few days. They were dragons, just like she was, or at least was supposed to be. Taelerys was extremely fearful for the lives of Lord Stark and Arya and Sansa. No one was safe so long as Joffrey was the king. It was far too soon for that little blond idiot to ascend the throne.

Taelerys lifted up the ivory-colored egg from her lap, examining each grove of its scales. _If only you could hatch, then we could easily take back what they stole from us._ Taly lowered the egg back into its special chest, beside its brother egg, the red-colored one. Taelerys imagined the possibilities with dragons being reborn in the world. Her family was divided, all across the continent and the world.

One third held captive in King's Landing, the second third preparing for a war, and the last third was on a different continent. Her place was here, for now. As much as she wanted revenge, Taelerys and Robb had no desire to lead these people into battle. Although Taelerys knew it they were going to war. The Usurper was dead and his cheating wife's bastard son had Lord Stark falsely arrested on treason. The Lannisters were already laying siege to Riverrun in response to Lord Stark attempting to arrest Tywin and Ser Gregor Clegane. They were going to aid the Tullys before marching to King's Landing to free Lord Stark and Robb's sisters.

Lady let out a loud whine from Taelerys's bed, as if to get the attention of her new mistress. The Targaryen merely turned to Lady. She got up to gently pet the grey direwolf around her perked ears. "Don't worry, I'm sure Sansa is okay," Taelerys reassured her. "If not, I'll make sure to rain fire and blood upon them."

The direwolf's golden eyes merely looked into the Targaryen's violet eyes. Taelerys was sure the wolf didn't understand the Common Tongue, but perhaps could sense the emotion in her voice. No one questioned the loyalty of a dog, Taelerys knew that a direwolf would be just the same.

While Robb attended a meeting with the host lords, Taelerys went to go comfort Bran and Rickon. Lady padded quietly after Taelerys before suddenly stopping in her tracks. Lady began growling from behind her in the hallway. Taly turned around with a confused look. Lady never growled or bared her fangs at anyone. She was the sweetest direwolf of the bunch, almost not even a direwolf since she wasn't at all ferocious. Until now. This made Taelerys unnerved as she was afraid the direwolf would attack her. Lady and the other direwolves were already bigger than a regular husky. Summer had already killed a man at only a few months old.

"Lady?" she asked. "What is it, girl?"

Taelerys could see Lady exposing her pink gums, her light grey fur standing completely straight. The direwolf bolted past her. The end of the hall led to Rickon's room. _Danger,_ Taelerys immediately recognized. She ran back to her room for Blackfyre. She grabbed the Valyrian sword before tossing aside the sheath. As Taly ran back, she heard the loud and pained howl of Lady. _No!_ Taelerys gritted her teeth before kicking open the door, causing it to slam against the wall.

When Taelerys entered the room, the four men clad in full armor with swords drawn looked to see who it was. Rickon took the opportunity to jump from the windowsill of his room. "Fuck!" one of the men cursed upon Rickon's escape. Taelerys noticed the white tree sigil on their armor. They were Whitehill men. The traitors feigned their allegiance to Robb in order to get into the castle and kill them. Taelerys quickly noticed Lady laying on the ground, slightly whimpering. Blood was pouring from a large cut on the side of her head. Taelerys ran out of the room. The jingling of armor and loud stomps followed quickly behind her. Not as fast as an agile woman with no armor. Taelerys burst into her room before barring her door shut. They briefly banged on the door before leaving to find Bran. She quickly looked around the room for something to use. That was when her eyes flew wide open.

_Wildfire._

Taelerys dived under the bed for one of the containers._ I can't use it here though, the entire place will burn to the ground with no way to stop it._

Taly looked outside to see Rickon running beside the castle with the four armored men in quick pursuit. The men were almost to Rickon and would quickly impale him with their blades. A second later, Taelerys threw the jar of wildfire from the window. She heard the glass shatter upon hitting one of the Whitehill men. Instantly, a column of green flames erupted from the man's body. His screams were the most terrible sounds she had ever heard. They were all too familiar.

Taelerys could hear the fanatical laughter of her insane father throughout her mind. The other men caught on fire as well, even though they weren't that close to the Whitehill man. The sickly color of green nearly blinded Taelerys. She couldn't bear to watch no more.

_'Burn them all, burn them all, burn them all!'_ Aerys had chanted._ 'Burn them all and be reborn among salt and smoke!'_

His bloodshot eyes crazed for the desire for fire and burnt flesh. Her father's gaunt face and crooked smile forever haunting her mind. Taelerys sunk to the ground, feeling her stomach fall to her feet. _What have I done?_ She felt the tears starting to form in her eyes. Her throat was tightening badly that it became hard to breathe. _I've turned into my father. I killed those men with wildfire. And now I've possibly killed more people than just Rickon._

Taelerys thought to when her father had summoned her to the throne room on her fifth birthday. His appearance had scared her, especially those long, ugly fingernails. Aerys ordered a servant to give her a wrapped present. She remembered feeling disgusted and terrified when he pulled her onto his lap. But nothing could compare when Aerys told her to pour the liquid on the _'venomous traitor' _before him. '_Something wonderful would happen,'_ he had told her.

The man let out a horrendous cry before igniting into a tall pillar of bright green flame. Her father stood up and cackled loudly like an old woman. Taelerys remembered letting out a horrific scream. _He made me kill someone,_ She remembered._ But now I killed this person and possibly others of my own free will. Have I gone mad?_

All these thoughts rushed through her head within a millisecond. Taly suddenly felt an intense heat from behind her. It felt as if Taelerys had sat too close to the fire. She looked behind to see the blinding green of the wildfire eating away at the windowsill. The castle was now on fire! Taelerys leaped to her feet in a vain attempt to flee the flames. The wildfire quickly spread throughout across the floor like she had laid black powder everywhere. The walls, the desk, the bed, the ceiling, anywhere and everywhere. It had been nearly eighteen years since she had last seen wildfire. Taelerys covered her face when the green fire roared towards her.

_Dying to wildfire. A fitting end for someone like me. _Taelerys reflected, bracing herself for the agony of wildfire.

But, nothing happened.

She didn't feel the familiar burning sensation of fire, upon the chance that it did hurt her. Taelerys was more tolerant to heat than most. But was by no means immune to it. Taelerys lowered her hands from her face upon feeling her clothing dissipate. She was naked with my body completely bathed in the green fire. It didn't take long for the remaining six jars of wildfire to explode from underneath the bed, sending it flying into the air. None of the cursed explosion hurt me. The bed was devoured by the unholy flames before it could land on me.

Blackfyre landed right beside me. There were three loud _kabooms_ as the two dragon eggs slammed into the remainders of the wooden floor like meteors falling from the sky. No support beams and no debris of the burning castle fell on her because there was none. The wildfire consumed it. Taelerys crawled through the flames, which only felt warm against her nude form. Like she was swimming in a nice warm lake back in King's Landing.

Why she did not burn, Taelerys did not know.

_No._

She _did_ know. She had sensed the truth of that long ago when her father had poured wildfire over her one arm. All she had received were minor burns. Now, it could not harm her at all? _I have to stop these flames! They'll burn down the entire castle!_ Was her immediate thought. Taelerys was about to leave when she started to hear voices from the wild flames. It sounded like women and children whispering in the wind.

_Only death can pay for life._

There was a loud crack, a sound that she had never heard before.

_The true dragon has awakened._

And there was a second crack, it was loud and terrifying like the thunder. For a second, Taelerys thought her ears would split.

_Fire and blood._

The third crack crack was the loudest and the sharpest, as if the world had split into two. Taelerys immediately felt the warmth of the wildfire flames disappear. When she opened her eyes, the wildfire was completely gone, along with part of the castle that she lived in. But, the wildfire had somehow stopped. That was a near impossible task to do. Taelerys stood up, naked and covered with soot, with her beautiful silvery hair fried to a crisp.

Blackfyre lay in front of her feet, being the only remaining object that was unburnt. Taelerys reached down for it, when she noticed what looked to be the broken shells of her dragon eggs. Taly picked up a black colored scale. _The fire must have destroyed them._

There was an unfamiliar trilling sound from behind her. Startled, Taelerys turned around to see two small dragons gazing up at her. They jumped onto her shoulders, before wrapping themselves close to her. Taly was too stunned to do anything. _Dragons, dragons,_ she thought. The household gathered around. Not long after, Robb and some of his host lords and bannermen arrived with Rickon. All of them completely mesmerized by what they were seeing.

The white dragon perched on her left shoulder let out a loud and shrill shriek, before the black dragon joined in singing a song to the night that had not been sung for hundreds of years.


	15. Dragonblood

Taelerys stood there, absolutely stunned by the small creatures on her shoulders. As was the rest of the crowd that began to form around her. Moments ago, they had just been dragon eggs. Taelerys looked across the smoldered ground that was once the side of the castle. Shards of egg shell were all scattered around her. The two newborn dragons were about the size of a kitten. The white one was the smallest while the black one was bigger. Their eyes were focused solely on Taelerys as if it were their mother.

"T-Taelerys?" Robb nearly gasped. "What the hell happened?"

Taelerys didn't even care that she was naked, was too stunned by what had happened. She merely looked up at him with wonder. "I don't know." Taelerys replied, barely a whisper. After a few more moments of intense staring at her naked form, especially from Theon Greyjoy and some of the bannermen, Robb stepped towards her. He took off his fur cloak and went to wrap it around her. The two small dragons snapped at Robb, who nearly jolted backwards from that. Taelerys pried the dragons from her shoulders, holding them in her arms and protecting her breasts from further prying eyes. This allowed Robb to cover Taly up around her shoulders. With an arm around her waist, Robb lead her away from the disarray that had just occurred.

After taking a quick bath to wash away the ash smeared across her body, Taelerys was escorted to an emergency meeting with Robb and the host lords. She explained to them in great detail what had happened. All the while the two baby dragons clung to her breasts. They refused to leave her, otherwise wailing and screeching like an unhappy child. They had also tried taking a bath with Taelerys, falling into the tub when trying to climb onto her shoulders.

Greatjon Umber slammed his fist into the table. "Damn those sneaky bastards, I knew those Whitehills would be untrustworthy."

Gregor Forrester was calm unlike the giant Umber beside him. He leaned his balding head forward to get a better view of Robb and Taelerys. "Our House may be rivals with the Whitehills, but I never expected them to pull something this treacherous against your family, Your Grace."

"The Gods be good that the Targaryen can actually breathe fire," Greatjon chuckled, taking a large gulp of his wine. _"Wildfire."_

"You actually put the fire out with your mind?" Lord Forrester's squire, Gared Tuttle, nearly exclaimed. Gregor kindly told him to be silent, understanding the boy's excitement over this. Taelerys awkwardly sank in her seat. She wasn't used to this type of attention and was a bit embarrassed by these so-called feats the host lords were describing. It wasn't incredible or wonderful to her, this was downright frightening and violent. Taelerys had no idea what was happening to her these past few months. Although she was happy to have hatched the eggs, Taelerys felt that somehow she was playing right into someone's hands. All of these events were just dropped into her lap and she didn't like it one bit.

"If what you say is true, Lady Taelerys, then that means there is an army and a vast amount of wildfire waiting for us in the vault," Roose Bolton interjected, ignoring the awes of the lords surrounding him. That man was always so calculating in everything he did. She didn't like the look in those beady steel blue eyes. Most of the lords turned to each other with agreement.

"No." Was Robb's final answer, before explaining himself, "Wildfire is an uncontrollable substance, as are the Dark Fay, that's if they even existed. In Old Nan's stories, she stated the price to use the Dark Fay was too high. We need to fight this war the only way we know how; with swords, no magic."

"Not that any of us are real magicians anyway," Theon snickered, earning some of the lords a few laughs. Taelerys and Robb were not at all amused. Her eyes were solely on Robb. She had to press her point.

"I didn't plan on killing those Whitehill men like that, I'd hate to use wildfire on another man. But, I implore you to take me with to King's Landing," Taelerys nearly begged. "Please, I am your betrothed and Lord Stark has always been a father to me. Someday he will officially be my father. It is only right that you take me with to rescue him. I'm good with a sword and bow, and you will need my dragons, you know this."

There was a moment of silence. Robb did not expect to fight his betrothed about riding south with him. He tried to use the excuse that she was a woman and needed to be protect. Robb immediately berated himself for saying that as he had just awoken the dragon. He then tried Bran and Rickon stating that they needed a fierce warrior to protect them, she countered that Summer and Shaggydog would be enough. Also, Lady Catelyn would soon return home to them. Nothing that Robb said seemed to convince Taelerys to want to stay. He was declared the King in the North on this day and even he couldn't find it in his heart to demand Taelerys to stay behind. _No one can tame the dragon._

To her surprise, Theon defended her. "I think she should come, she could be a real asset. Many houses fought for her father and brother. There are still those who hate the Lannisters and Baratheons that would gladly fight with us," Theon explained. "Plus, she also has a claim to the Iron Throne before said Lannisters and Baratheons ousted her father off the Iron Throne and laid slaughter to her entire family."

Despite the animosity between them, Taelerys was truly grateful for Theon's support. It was one of the first time she could look past all his more negative qualities. Theon Greyjoy wasn't entirely a fool after all. She just wished Theon was more like this than his usual arrogant and simple-minded self. Robb let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not exactly fond of the idea though," he confessed. "The point of Taelerys being our ward was to calm the Targaryen loyalists, not rile them up."

"As much as I hate to admit it as well, we do need all the support we can get," Maester Luwin added. "House Martell and House Tyrell along with their vassal houses remained loyal to the Targaryens years after the war."

"I don't know if the Tyrells will join our cause, but one thing's for certain, the Martells are out for Lannister blood for what was done to Elia and her children," Taelerys pointed out. "Dorne resisted being conquered by the Targaryens and their dragons for years, even managing to kill my ancestor Rhaenys Targaryen. I'm sure they would happily join our cause."

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves. We're still in the North. They're on the other side of the continent." Robb reminded her.

Taelerys remained resilient at the table. "I'm just saying this to prove a point. Take me with you or else I'll steal a horse and follow you."

That made him snicker. Robb knew the only way he was going to stop Taelerys from coming along was locking her in a dungeon. Something that he sincerely didn't want to do. So, he decided to let his Targaryen bride-to-be tag along. But, she would not be fighting in any of the battles. Taelerys would be there to rally up the Targaryen loyalists, and in her words, 'smile and look beautiful like a good submissive little wife?'.

Some of the lords had laughed at that. "As if a wolf can tame a dragon," Greatjon chuckled, elbowing his king in the ribcage. "We all know who the real ruler of the North is."

Greatjon winked at Roob, which earned him a rather irritated look from the Stark. Throughout the rest of the meeting, most of the Northmen and their lords had their eyes on Taelerys in wonder. Just as much as her dragons. She didn't know if it was because of her ethereal beauty or being of the same blood as Aegon the Conqueror. Now, Taelerys felt that she was a different type of being. Not like any other mortal in the world. It amazed her as it was terrifying. Taly was glad to be out of the meeting the moment it ended.

Taelerys let out a sigh of relief upon learning that Lady didn't die from that blow from the Whitehill men. The kennel master had to stitch up the awful wound. Taelerys didn't want Lady to be locked up in a cage and cared for by a stranger. So, she had Hodor carry the injured direwolf to Taly's bed with the approval of the kennel master. Taly just had to clean the wound out every couple of hours or so to make sure it didn't get infected. Her brothers; Summer, Grey Wind, and Shaggydog frequently visited their sister, often bumping noses or sniffing the smelly bandage on her neck. They immediately noticed the new scent in the room and padded towards her two dragons. Taelerys had to be careful that one of the direwolves didn't try to attack or eat them or something. She had to ease them into becoming familiar and friendly towards the dragons, as they were going to live with each other from now on. To her relief, the direwolves showed no aggression or desire to harm the dragons. Although they were quite curious about the foreign creatures and their smell.

Upon going to bed that night, Taelerys couldn't sleep at all. Nor had anyone expected her to after everything she went through. The Whitehill men were the blood while the wildfire was the fire. _That_ was what fire and blood meant. She thought back to when her room had been aflame by wildfire. There was a loud thunderous crack for each dragon egg that had hatched. She had two dragon eggs and yet had heard three. _So what was the third crack for?_ Taelerys wondered. _Was that for me?_

That was the only theory that Taelerys could come up with. After all, the dragon has three heads.

* * *

Taelerys didn't know if she was very brave or very foolish for not feeling the dread of the upcoming war. Robb had been trembling upon summoning his bannermen. Perhaps Theon was right, she was stupid. Taly had never known herself to back down from a fight. She was always so fierce in composure and everything she did. Lord Stark had always told her that despite being a dragon, Taly sure had a lot of wolf blood in her. Taelerys had stated that perhaps it was because the wolf and the dragon were alike in many ways. Both were hot blooded. She was beginning to believe that was true.

But, if Robb was a wolf, then he had something to fear. Taelerys was supposed to be a dragon. All knew that no one could withstand the flames and the pure power of a dragon. They were magical creatures while wolves, lions, stags, and fish, and so on were just unmagical creatures. Just spokes on a wheel. Taelerys could break the wheel, though it would probably be more fitting if she lit it on fire and turned it to ashe. And now, Taelerys actually had the dragons to do it.

_Magic._

Now, Taly truly believed in its existence. She just had no idea where to start from there or what lay ahead of her. Only that it was terrifying. Taelerys wondered if her brother and sister across the Narrow Sea had it as well. Taelerys remembered herself and Jon as kids trying to use magic. They thought that they had the old magic inside of themselves. All it ended up doing was making then squeeze their eyes shut and sounding like they were constipated. Old Nan was knitting by the fireplace as usual. Her old bones unable to take the winds of winter. '_There were many types of magic; the magic of the Old Gods of the Forest, the magic of the Lord of Light, and the magic of Valyria,'_ Old Nan had told her.

* * *

Taelerys heard the sound of bells. Her eyes opened to see that she was beside the statue of her ancestor, Baelor the Blessed, the septon king. She wedged myself in between the king's feet. There was a crowd of hundreds right beneath her all rallied up and shouting. She looked all around to see that she was at the Sept of Baelor. Taelerys was back in King's Landing.

This had happened before when Jaime and Lord Stark fought each other. Now, Taelerys was sure that no one could see her last time. She was correct, no one seemed to be paying attention to her. She wondered what the fuck was going on. She looked in the direction that the crowd was jeering and screaming at.

On the High Septon's platform outside the doors of the set, in between two gold cloaks, stood Lord Eddard Stark.


	16. Baelor

Lord Eddard was dressed in his brown leather clothes that Taelerys last saw him in, which had to have been more than a week ago. Course Lord Stark hadn't seen her there. Taelerys had watched him fight Jaime Lannister as if she were a ghost. He also looked thinner last she saw him, his long Stark face filled with pain. They probably hadn't of fed or treated him properly since his imprisonment. Ned struggled to stand up as his leg was still broken.

But, not nearly as broken as the spirit of this Stark.

Taelerys never thought she would see the day when that would happen. Her valiant lord was not one to ever give up. The Starks were as resilient to the cold as the Targaryens were to the heat. Ned didn't back down when the Mountain tried to kill her, or whenever King Robert made an immoral and irrational decision, which was usually all the time. Maybe now the Lannisters had broken him. A lion is so much bigger and stronger than a wolf.

Clustered around Ned Stark was the High Septon himself, a squat, fat, little man with age, and wearing the long white robes and the crown of Baelor the Blessed. There were knights, high lords, and soldiers surrounding them. Taelerys saw them all standing in a row; Sansa, dressed in a light blue dress, with her long auburn hair pulled up into the Southern bun with two strands twirling down her shoulder, and wearing a silver necklace around her neck. Cersei was next to her, wearing the red and gold of her house, with the Lannister sigil on each floor length sleeve. Her blond hair was bound in a similar Southern braided bun with her emerald tiara on her head. The one that was most prominent was Joffrey, who also wore silks of red and gold from House Lannister, yet wore the crown of golden antlers on his head. Beside him were Varys, the Hound, Littlefinger, Ser Janos Slynt, and Ser Illyn Payne. A long line of gold-cloaked knights and spearmen held back the crowd. What Taly didn't understand why Sansa was smiling and looking so happy. This was not something to be happy about. That stupid, stupid girl, how Taelerys wished she could just slap Sansa out of her delusions and fantasies.

The moment Joffrey held up his hand, all was silent from the crowd. "Lord Eddard Stark has something he wants to say," he announced to the crowd, motioning to his guards. Ned was prodded forward with spears. Taelerys could hear the words "Liar!" and "Traitor!" being shouted throughout the large crowd. She saw Lord Stark glance over to his daughter, who nodded towards him with an encouraging smile. That was when Taly realized why Sansa was so happy. She was encouraging him to confess and be pardoned. That would put an end to any bloodshed between the wolf and the lion.

"My name is Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King," Ned said in a loud voice. "I come before you to confess my treason in the sight of gods and men."

Taelerys couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lord Stark, the man who stood for justice above all else, was now lying to the crowd. And to himself, to the man that he was supposed to be. But, it didn't look like Lord Stark had a choice. The safety of Sansa probably compromised this because Lord Stark felt nothing for his own life. But, he did for his daughter. Taelerys realized she would've done the same for her own children, if she had any. Most likely for the Starks if it ever came to that.

Below her, the crowd began to react angrily at Ned's confession, booing, screaming and shouting. A few stones were even thrown. One such stone hit Ned in the head, knocking him back and causing a little bit of blood to trickle down the side of his face. That was when their eyes met. Ned stared at her with such shock on his face. Taelerys wondered if her lord could actually see her. After another long stare, Taly knew it was true. But she didn't know how that was possible. She was supposed to be invisible to everyone.

His face became more sad as he spoke, looking at his ward as he said, "I betrayed the faith of my king and the trust of my friend, Robert Baratheon. I swore to defend and protect his children, yet before his blood was cold, I plotted to dispose and murder his son and seize the throne for myself. Let the High Septon, Baelor the Blessed, and the Seven bear witness to the truth of what I say: Joffrey Baratheon is the one true heir to the Iron Throne, and by the grace of all the gods, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the realm."

Taelerys would be crying right now if she had her body, the crowd became wild with rage again. Now, Lord Stark had settled everything with the Lannisters. Everything would go back to normal albeit with a new found hatred for the Lannisters. The High Septon spoke. "As we sin, so do we suffer, this man has confessed his crimes in the sight of gods and men, here in this holy place. The gods are just, yet Baelor the Blessed taught us that they are also merciful. What shall be done with this traitor, You Grace?"

All of the voices were screaming for what to be done to Ned. They all screamed for death. Taelerys had a feeling in her gut that this wouldn't end well. Joffrey wasn't the kind to let someone who offended him off easily. He was a sadistic bastard, and a bastard at that. She ignored them to see what King Joffrey would decide, or what his mother would decide, the bastard stepped out from behind the Kingsguard.

"My mother bids me to let Lord Eddard take the black, and Lady Sansa has begged mercy for her father." He was looking straight at Sansa, smiling, before he paused. Was Joffrey really going to let my lord live? I was relieved. Only for a moment though, because Joffrey turned his head back to the crowd and declared, "But they have the soft hearts of women. So long as I am your king, treason shall never go unpunished. Ser Ilyn, _bring me his head!"_

The crowd roared with approval, and Taelerys nearly lost balance from the impact of those words. _They're going to kill him._ She noticed the High Septon and Varys begging the king to reconsider, and even the queen was trying to say something to her son. Joffrey merely ignored them, a wide grin upon his eager face. The one thing Taelerys could hear above the noise of the crowd was Sansa screaming on the top of her lungs for him to stop. Tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried running towards her father, but was restrained by Ser Meryn Trant.

Ser Ilyn Payne climbed the steps of the platform, drawing a two-handed sword from its scabbard. Taelerys realized that it was Ice, his own bloody sword of his own House. This couldn't be happening. Taelerys had to stop it but she couldn't move. Nothing was happening. Taelerys continued to panic before finally looking back up at her lord. Ned's neck was pressed against a piece of wood, he searched through the crowd, probably for her. Somehow, Ned had found me, and could see me, even though I wasn't supposed to be there. There was such sorrow and regret on his face. Lord Stark always told her that the one who gives the sentence, carries out the sentence. Yet, the mute Ser Ilyn Payne was going to do it.

Ned gave the ward whom he considered his daughter a sad smile, saying goodbye. The last thing he would see in this world were her Valyrian purple eyes.

Lord Stark...

_...Father..._

There was a loud _shing!_ sound as Lord Stark's head was sliced from his body, falling across the ground. The crowd immediately began cheering. Taelerys immediately awoke from her bed, too hot and completely soaked in sweat. She wasn't in King's Landing, but Taelerys knew what she had seen. Her heart was thundering against her chest and it became difficult to breathe. Lady had slightly shifted from the abrupt movement, but didn't awake. After what seemed like minutes, Taelerys jumped out of the bed and proceeded to vomit on the floor.

* * *

Taelerys kept to herself while staying at Moat Cailin for the remaining day, where the Manderlys arrived to join the bannermen. Catelyn was to meet them after her return from the Eyrie. This surprised her as Taly thought she should've gone home to Winterfell, back to Bran and Rickon. But, maybe it was she and Robb that truly needed the support right now. They were going to war. Taelerys was no child, but Robb was. This war brought on by the death of Lord Eddard. She wondered if her horrific nightmare was true or not.

_His body falling from his head..._She couldn't get the images out of her mind. It made her stomach churn at the thought of it. Then, Lord Stark somehow seeing her and placing a hand on her shoulder. Even though his headless body was right before the Sept. Somehow he appeared beside her, in good condition too. Taly wondered if it was his ghost that had stood there at the statue of Baelor alongside her. Only through death could Taelerys say goodbye to the man whom she considered to be her father. There was no word yet on whether or not Lord Stark had been executed. But, she knew it wasn't a dream. Taelerys couldn't keep anything down and was trembling with dread over the anticipation. Lord Stark must be dead.

Taly had to hold back her tears as Robb had grown concerned for her, contemplating sending her back to Winterfell. She held all the fear and the pain inside herself. Because of that, Taelerys lost her appetite and had intense stomach pains throughout the day. She would also get sick after attempting to eat. But nothing compared to the loss and sense of impending doom that was upon her.

The doom of losing Lord Stark.

Robb eventually confronted Taelerys about her sudden depression, after being so fervent about being beside him in the upcoming war. Robb sat beside Taelerys on her makeshift bed in their tent. It was a rare sight to see Taelerys like this. Her long, wavy silver locks were frizzy and tangled. Those beautiful and strange violet eyes that he loved so much were now bloodshot. And her cheeks were stained with tears. Robb placed a gloved hand on top of hers. "Taly, I know you're scared, we all are," Robb confessed. "But, I need you to remain strong. If not for yourself, for me. You are to be my wife."

Robb gave her hand a gentle squeeze, only for Taelerys to withdraw from his touch. Her reddened eyes slowly looked up into his. Taly could feel her eyes stinging having to look at Robb. How could she tell the poor man? The man that she considered to be her brother, whom she was to marry. Targaryen incest at its finest. How ironic. And even after all those listed things, Taelerys still didn't know how to tell him.

"I'm not scared Robb," Taly insisted, her voice surprisingly clear and strong. "It's..."

There was a brief pause as Taelerys contemplated on what to tell her betrothed. Robb waited patiently, knowing these past few days had been hard. Especially after House Whitehill turned traitor and infiltrated Winterfell to kill them. She emerged unscathed by wildfire with two baby dragons. Taelerys hadn't been the same since then.

"It's what?" Robb asked.

She still refused to make eye contact with him. This wouldn't have bothered him any other day as Robb was used to her doing this. All their lives they were told that they would be married some day. But neither of them saw each other anymore as siblings. It was awkward for Robb, especially since he knew how Jon and Taly felt about each other. The Targaryens wed brother and sister for centuries. In a matter of speaking, he would be wedding the woman who grew up alongside him as his sister. Jon joined the Night's Watch because he couldn't bear to watch his own brother live the life he never had. With the woman he loved. Robb at least wished Taly could try to be more happy.

Taly briefly closed her eyes, reflecting on what had happened. "Something's happening to me, Robb. And it scares me. I'm not normal."

"Well, I've always known that." Robb snickered lightheartedly, trying to lift her spirits. Taelerys was not at all in the mood.

"That's not the only thing that's happened, I've been having dreams. Dragon dreams. I see things as they're happening," Taelerys tried to explain to Robb as best as she could. By the Old Gods, Taly knew she probably sounded mad. Had it not been for the wildire and dragons, Robb would've rolled his eyes and left the tent, irrate that she wasn't taking this seriously. Robb narrowed his light blue eyes. The Tully eyes. "And...did you see something?" Robb inquired.

Her eyes widened a bit. He actually believed her? Taly felt a little relieved, more inspired to continue. She first swallowed the lump in her throat. "I..." Taelerys couldn't speak anymore. It was as if her voice choked on itself. Why is it so hard just to say the words? She had to tell him, it was so easy yet it wasn't. Her body wouldn't let her talk. Frustrated, Taelerys broke down and started crying. Robb pulled her into his arms, this time she didn't draw away from him. "It's okay, Taly, take your time." Robb assured her. "Tell me what's wrong?"

"L-Lord Stark," she croaked, each letter she struggled to say. As if an invisible force was strangling her. "I-I saw him...be...beheaded...at Bae...Baelor...t-today."

Robb slowly withdrew from Taelerys, shock and worry on his face. He inhaled once before reassuring himself that it wasn't true. Yes, Taly hatched dragons, but there was no way she could see the future or be in other places around the world. "Taly, you don't know that." Robb stated. "You were just having a nightmare."

"I don't know that," Taly coughed. "I become afraid every time I see a raven fly into camp. They're the messengers of death and bad news. I'm just waiting for one to say that Ned Stark was beheaded by the Lannisters at the Sept of Baelor."

Taelerys could tell her words negatively impacted Robb's once hopeful resolve that his father would still be alive. He merely gave Taly a frown before getting up to leave. Taelerys is obviously distraught, so much has happened since then. She survived dying from wildfire and hatched two baby dragons, Robb reflected upon leaving her tent. Now, news of this spread quickly throughout the entire North like fire. Wildfire. They began calling her "Dragonblood" and "The Unburnt". No doubt this would spread across the entire realm, but only the North would believe it as they witnessed it themselves. At least, until they saw the dragons.

Until they saw Taelerys.

Robb knew Taly was special the moment he saw her. He just didn't know how much and that scared him.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, I was finishing up spring quarter of college. Now, that's done, but now I have to look for a job for the summer to pay for tuition in fall. I might not be updating as frequently as I used to but bear with me.**

**Also, if you're going to leave a review, don't be rude. I don't mind constructive criticism, but you can get your opinion across without being rude. I've had a couple of rude reviews left on my story that were basically just insulting me without explaining in depth why they didn't like the story or pointing out any plot holes. And even if what you say is true, you don't have to be an asshole about it. It's just upsetting when someone leaves a comment saying "Your work is shit" and I'm sure anyone would. I find it hilarious that some reviewers leave nasty reviews when they don't have a single story posted on their account for you to judge back. It's a bit hypocritical.**

**If you don't like the story, that's fine. You're welcome to explain why. But please, don't be rude. Thank you to all of my kind reviewers who've left comments. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. We're almost done with book 1/season 1 of Game of Thrones. :)**


	17. The Toll

**I am SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER sorry that this took so long. I had to deal with school and to be honest, I've had a bit of writer's block. I know how the story will turn out, but writing the story itself has been a bit of a slow process for me. I can't really make any promises. All I can say is that I will try to update as soon as I can.**

* * *

For the rest of the day, Taelerys masked her fears behind a stern and still face. She was silent during the journey to the Twins, where Robb hoped to cross into the Riverlands. Unable to let her dragons be kept out of her sight, Taelerys rode on the back of a supply wagon with one perched on each shoulder. She still hadn't named them. The white hatchling was a female while the black one was male. Taly hadn't been too worried about what to name them in comparison to what was happening all around her. Taelerys held out a raw piece of deer meat for them to eat to no avail. The dragons merely turned their small, scaley heads away whenever she tried to feed them. Eyes continued to watch the Targaryen and her dragons with curiosity and amazement. Although Taly was eager to fight in the upcoming war, she didn't like being looked upon as an exhibit. She missed Winterfell, at least no one looked down on her there.

The trail of soldiers came to a stop and Taelerys was requested to meet with her wardens. Taly approached towards the front just in time to see Theon shoot down a raven. Catelyn told Theon to keep shooting down ravens. The Freys couldn't warn the Lannisters of their arrival. Just across the plains were the Twins, the seat of House Frey, two identical castles and a tower in the middle of their bridge. It was known for being one of the most formidable strongholds in the Seven Kingdoms. It was too bad for Robb that the Lord of the Crossing was known for being a cunt, Walder Frey. They needed to get across the river to save Riverrun from Ser Jaime Lannister.

Taelerys was itching to kill the Kingslayer. It was by her right to kill him. For all she knew, Lord Stark was dead, and if they didn't act quickly, so would Sansa and Arya. "Walder Frey has four thousand troops amassed and yet has not committed any of them to a cause as now," Taelerys reminded her betrothed.

"But, he has not held any inclination in helping us," Ser Rodrik pointed out. "Expect nothing of Walder Frey and you'll never be surprised."

Robb didn't look at anyone. His eyes solely on the Twins, but Taelerys knew that his thoughts were only of his father and sisters. "Father rots in a dungeon. How long before they take his head?" Robb asked, causing Taelerys to gulp and stare nervously at the ground. "We need to cross the Trident and we need to do it now."

"Just march up to his gates and tell him you're crossing." Theon said with his customary easy confidence. "We've got five times his numbers. You can take the Twins if you have to."

Greatjon shook his head. "Not in time. Tywin Lannister marches north as we speak."

"The Freys have held the crossing for six-hundred years, and for six-hundred years they have never failed to exact their toll." Catelyn reminded him. "Walder Frey is self-serving and he has a son married to Tywin's sister."

"Then find out what he wants and pay the toll," Taelerys interjected, growing angry at the mere thought of the Kingslayer getting away. His smug grin at her while sitting upon the Iron Throne. And their bodies wrapped in Lannister red cloaks, leaking blood all over the floor. Dead and raped. "Jaime Lannister has broken the Riverrun defenders and taken Lady Catelyn's brother captive, and Riverrun is now fully under siege. There's no time!" she finished.

The two dragons perched on her shoulder shrieked loudly as if to agree with her. It startled a couple of the lords besides them. Taelerys, Catelyn, Robb, and their bannermen continued to look upon the heavily fortified Twins grimly. Lord Walder's heir Ser Stevron Frey finally rode out to greet them. At first Robb would accompany Ser Stevron back inside the Twins, but Robb's men talked him out of it. Catelyn decided to treat with Lord Walder alone. "Lord Walder is my father's bannerman. I have known him since I was a girl. He would never offer me harm." Catelyn tried to assure her son and the bannermen.

"He would harm you for a profit, my lady," Taelerys warned her.

"You haven't seen the world outside of King's Landing," Theon snorted. It was in that instant that Taelerys glowered at him, before standing directly face-to-face. He immediately regretted saying that upon seeing the fury on her face.

"And you haven't seen King's Landing," Taly hissed. "Or have you forgotten that I was once a princess?"

"You were for five years, my lady." Greatjon pointed out.

"Still I saw enough,"

No words were spoken at the tense exchange between Taelerys and Theon. However, it did silence talk about Taelerys not being experienced enough to help. She wasn't just some woman, ordinary or not. Her dragons squealed into her ears, picking at her braided white hair.

She felt nothing but dread whilst waiting for Lady Stark. I've lost Lord Stark, my father, I sure as hell can't lose Lady Stark too. To her relief, Catelyn rode back out of the Twins after an hour. She took off her gloves upon entering the tent. Taelerys could feel that her heart was pounding. She hoped to the Old Gods that they had been given passage. Then, she could bludgeon the Kingslayer to death.

"Well?" Robb asked.

Catelyn gave a nod. "It is done, Lord Walder will let us pass," she stated as the tensity in the room immediately dissipated. "And the four thousand men Lord Walder has will march with us...on the condition..."

Robb narrowed his auburn brows. "On the condition of what?"

Taelerys knew this couldn't be good. There was a price to pay to cross the bridge. From the look on Catelyn's face, she didn't seem to happy about it. "Two of Frey's grandchildren will foster at Winterfell, young Olyvar Frey will squire for Robb, Arya will wed Walder's youngest son Elmer," Catelyn began to list.

"Arya won't like that one bit," Taly replied, imagining the disgust and rage she would feel upon finding out. But, there were worse things than marriage. Catelyn continued on, exhaling deeply before doing so. "...and once the fighting is done, Robb must choose one of Lord Walder's daughters to wed."

Theon immediately snickered, only to be silenced with another glare from Taelerys. She looked over to Robb to see how he was handling this information. His face was like stone. "That means breaking my betrothal to Taelerys," he muttered. "A sacred vow."

Catelyn nodded, her face just as expressionless as his. Taelerys didn't know how to react to this. A part of her was happy not to marry him, the other was sad that Robb would have to marry a bearded and beastly Frey girl. Robb bent over the table slightly before looking up at his mother.

"Were any of them pretty?" Robb asked in a quiet tone.

_"Robb!"_ Taelerys nearly yelled at him in a scolding manner. Theon let out a chuckle although none of the other lords found this amusing. This was merely strategic to them. Taelerys stepped confidently in front of Robb. Face-to-face and nose-to-nose.

"That's not important right now!" Taly continued. "If I was asked to marry and have children with the ugliest, fattest, greasiest, pimpled slob in the Seven Kingdoms in order to save you, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would hate it, but if it would save your life, then I would have no regrets. There are worse things in this life than being married to a scab."

Robb looked to the map, suddenly looking depressed. But, the acting Lord of Winterfell was deep in thought, drinking in the words Taelerys had told him. He may not have loved Taelerys, but he would certainly take her over any Frey girl any day.

"I consent," Robb sighed solemnly.

Robb and his host crossed the river, tromping over the great bridge. While riding on Flame, Taelerys looked around at the giant castle. She noticed Lord Walder Frey watching from high up in the tower. Though he was far away, Taly could see his weasel-like face and greasy grin. Especially the glinting shimmer in his eyes. Only on her. Taelerys promptly looked away, hearing a couple of growls from the cages on each side of the saddle. The dragons weren't too fond of being locked up in a cage. But, she didn't want to risk them falling off her shoulders during a potential rough ride.

Ser Helman Tallhart returned with two of Lord Walder's grandsons who were both named Walder. Taelerys found that to be a bit strange but said nothing of it. The boys were seven and eight, planned to be wards of Winterfell. While Walder's other son, Olyvar, would be a squire. The worst of it was Arya having to marry a Frey. Taelerys then supposed it wasn't the worst that was to come. The real war hadn't even started yet. She knew there would be a bigger toll to pay than the one to cross the Twins.

* * *

_"My dearest Taelerys,_  
_Indeed, the letter Viserys wrote was indeed quite disturbing. I can only pray that he hasn't succumbed to the madness like your father did. Nor your sister, Daenerys. Married to a Dothraki horselord. How cruel. That would surely be the day if the Dothraki invaded Westeros. I only hope that Viserys and Daenerys have loved and missed you from afar as I have._

_I know, I feel as sad as you do, to have never met your own flesh and blood. To never be with your own. Even we have not met, you are my great-niece and I still hold you dear. What is honor and duty compared to the love of a family? One in ten thousand can be this strong. I have been tested numerous times and again, the Gods are cruel. Even if I wanted to break my vows, I am useless and dying miles away from you in the bitter cold. I wish I could help, but I would only burden you with my presence._

_The only thing that relieves me of this is to know that you have found a family with the Starks and are happy. Now, that has been compromised by this upcoming war with the crown. As your uncle, I can only fear for your safety. I dread every raven that comes to Castle Black, with a note attached stating your death. Just like it was with Rhaegar. Just like it was with my nephew, his children, and their children._

_You have not made any oaths to honor or duty, but sooner or later, your loyalties will be tested. You will have to make a choice. When the day comes, it will not be easy. All I can do is hope that you make the right choice. Be safe, my child._

_Your uncle Aemon,"_

Taelerys folded the letter nicely before sticking it into one of her books. There is nothing to test, my loyalties will always be with the Starks, Taelerys thought stubbornly to herself. She was a little agitated that anyone would dare question her loyalty. Though she supposed her uncle Aemon was speaking from his own experiences. Taly didn't take a vow in her case, that wasn't necessary. She would gladly give her life on the battlefield for the Starks. That's if Robb allowed her, which he didn't. They had debated over Taelerys joining the bannermen in the fight against the Kingslayer and his own bannermen. Robb flatly said no despite all the pleading and protesting from Taelerys.

_I should've just gone anyway,_ Taelerys thought regretfully to herself. She hated not being allowed to fight or do anything other than be some lord's wife. Taly peered over the bed to see the white and the black dragon climbing around their woven cages. _Then again, if I did and died, who would be trustworthy enough, or even capable, of raising my two dragons?_

The flap to her tent was swung open. It was Robb's squire, Olyvar Frey. She recognized him for his weasel-like face that Walder Frey and most of his descendants inherited. Unlike Walder Frey's brood, Olyvar seemed to be more friendly and approachable than his weasel father...or grandfather? Taelerys didn't remember and honestly didn't care.

"My lady, the battle has been won. The whispering wood is ours, but that's not the best of it," Olyvar looked like he was about to explode with happiness. "We have the Kingslayer."

The mere thought of the Kingslayer was enough to enrage her. But, Taelerys had to hold it all in as to not lose her temper. At least for now, she reminisced, getting up and placing a dragon on each shoulder. If Taelerys was going to present herself to the Kingslayer, she would do it with her dragons. She had to look intimidating and powerful. As well as to prove the rumors true. Taelerys had survived being burned alive, by wildfire no less, and had hatched two dragons. The first dragons in over a century.

Taelerys was escorted by Olyvar to the cage in which the Kingslayer was kept in. Never had she seen someone take imprisonment so gracefully, it looked to Taelerys that the Kingslayer almost enjoyed being imprisoned. Ser Jaime Lannister's hands were tied behind a wooden pole, surrounded by four guards. There was dirt and mud on his clothing as well as dried blood on the side of his beautiful face. His blond mane was unkempt and dirty. Despite being imprisoned, the Kingslayer had not lost his pride one bit. His face nearly lit up upon seeing the Targaryen.

"Oh goody, the Baby Dragon is here to visit me," the Kingslayer smiled up at her, before seeing the two dragons. His face momentarily went black. Only for a moment though. "So, it is true. You did hatch two dragons," Jaime finished with a slight nod, before looking to her belt.

"And survived a bout of wildfire," Taelerys added in a monotone voice. "Can't say the same for your traitor Whitehill friends though, they didn't take to kindly to being burned alive."

The black dragon squealed loudly in her arms. The white one merely purred like a cat. Taelerys noticed that the Kingslayer was slightly unnerved by the dragons. He was trying to hold back the shock and amazement at two actual dragons being before him. But, something changed in the Kingslayer when she mentioned wildfire. It was almost like he was disturbed that Taelerys had used wildfire against her foes. That didn't escape the Targaryen's notice.

Jaime snickered once. "Using wildfire? Maybe you're more like your hated father than you realize."

"Betrayal, treachery, lies...I already know you're just like your father," Taelerys answered in a calm voice. She wasn't at all bothered by his taunt. "There is no maybe. All I'm wondering now is many pages I'll have in the history books. More than you no doubt. And more than your disgusting bastard son...and nephew, that squealing little pig they call the king."

"And here you are, the mighty baby dragon, serving a bunch of wolves. How degrading it must be for a Targaryen to have to do that to survive," Jaime taunted. "A dragon following the Starks around like a lost puppy is a pretty hilarious sight. It must be so difficult to know that that's all you'll ever be in this life."

Taelerys could feel the anger starting to grow inside her. The Kingslayer didn't deserve to look so smug while imprisoned. The black dragon let out a slight hiss at Jaime, causing him to slightly flinch away. "And all you'll ever be to your beloved Cersei is a good fuck to pass the time," she retorted. "I'm sure she was just devastated to hear of your capture. She's probably mourning by fucking another Lannister now that you're rotting here in a cold cell."

"Your gracious lord and kennel master, Eddard Stark, rots in a cold cell as well." Jaime smiled at her. Taelerys was irritated by his insolence. He really doesn't give up does he? she thought to herself. These lions were so filled with pride even though a cold, winter cell was nothing to goad over. But, Taelerys remained stoic. She would not let up for a moment even if she wanted to. Jaime was probing her with a needle to see which spots hurt the most. Hopefully, Taelerys disappointed him in that regard. "Then you better hope it stays that way," she reminded him. "Because of if anything happens to him as well as Sansa and Arya, the same will happen to you too. I'll feed you to Rhaegon and Daenys."

"Rhaegon and Daenys?"

The two dragons let out a loud screech at the sound of their new names. The nearby guards nearly jumped out of their own skins by the noise. It was so loud and shrill that even the Kingslayer was a little startled by it. That was enough to answer his question. "I bid you a good day, Kingslayer." Taelerys said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Rhaegon, named after the brother she loved who was praised as the Prince That Was Promised and the True Dragon. Taelerys struggled with her feelings for her deceased brother. His obsession for a woman, Lord Stark's sister no less, led to the fall of their house. Though she later acknowledged that Rhaegar wasn't entirely responsible for that. Her wicked father was.

Daenys, named after the sister she loved and had never met. And probably never would meet. Daenerys was born during a storm, which also took the life of her beloved mother. A mother's death during childbirth wasn't an uncommon thing. Now, her sister was married to a Dothraki savage and could only hope that Daenerys was somehow happy.

While walking back to her tent, Taelerys stroked the head of the newly named Rhaegon. The black dragon enjoyed it was recieving from his mother. "If only you had a brother, I would name it after my second brother Viserys," Taelerys sighed to herself. Olyvar said nothing along the way, having watched the interaction between the Targaryen and the Kingslayer.

_The dragon has three heads,_ Taelerys reminisced. _I must have three._


	18. The Bleeding Star

The day dawned a bright red comet visible throughout the scuttling clouds. News of Lord Eddard Stark's death had finally reached the North. It was only then that the red comet appeared. Old Nan used to tell her that a red comet signified the coming of dragons. Now, Taelerys believed Old Nan more than ever. In King's Landing, it was apparently hailed as King Joffrey's Comet since it appeared on his nameday, with the captured Alton Lannister stating that it was as if the gods themselves raised a banner in his honor. "King Joffrey sits where Aegon the Conquerer once sat, in the castle built by his son," Alton said. "He is the dragon's heir–and crimson is the color of House Lannister, another sign. This comet is sent to Joffrey's ascent to the throne, I have no doubt. It means that he was meant to triumph over his enemies."

Taelerys had been passing by the cell at the time and overheard. Her sorrow immediately dissipated. It was a long time since Taelerys had felt real hatred. If there wasn't a cell in between her, Alton, and the Kingslayer, Taelerys wondered if she would've killed them both. She took a step towards them, whom both looked up at her upon realizing someone was there.

"The comet wasn't meant for Joffrey," she seethed. "The only thing the gods would send Joffrey is a meteor. Joffrey isn't a dragon, he's not even a stag. He's an inbreed lion cub," Taelerys glowered at the Kingslayer to prove her point. She turned her rage-filled eyes back on the other Lannister, before cockily tilting her head to the side. "A red comet signals the return of dragons."

Alton Lannister started laughing hysterically while Taelerys and Jaime merely watched him. The guards were pretending not to pay attention, but even they felt slight pity for the Lannister. He was making himself out to be a real fool. "Dragons? Dragons haven't existed in over a century!" Alton laughed. "They're extinct."

That only made Taelerys smile. The Kingslayer rolled his eyes before hitting the back of his head on a pole. "Shut up, you idiot." he snorted.

His distant cousin Alton looked confused by his reaction. "The Kingslayer obviously hasn't told you," Taelerys sighed, overjoyed by how much the Lannister was going to look like a fool in a few moments. "Please, do enlighten him about the situation, Kingslayer. Oh, and remind him what the sigil and colors of House Targaryen is while you're at it. For a Lannister, your cousin isn't too bright."

She promptly turned heel before the Kingslayer could give her some sarcastic remark. _He dare, he dare...even insinuate that the comet is here because of that bastard, _Taelerys thought to herself in a rage. It was fairly pompous to proclaim the comet as her own, but she wondered if the comet really was sent for her. A red tail of vengeance for her lost Lord Stark. The comet that took up half the sky wasn't a Lannister crimson, nor Tully muddy red. That was blood up there, smeared across the sky. Whose blood it was, Taelerys already knew._ Lord Stark's blood and those to come,_ she thought. It looked more like a bleeding star to her. And that was what she called it. The Bleeding Star. _I am the blood of Aegon the Conquerer, blood red is the color of House Targaryen, and I've hatched two dragons. It comes as a herald to me. The second coming of the dragon. To warn of fire and blood to follow. _Taelerys told herself._  
_

Everything about the red comet embodied and symbolized every aspect of her fallen house Targaryen. There was a sign for everything about it now. The coming of dragons, the onset of war and the bloodshed that comes with it, a symbol of vengeance, and on a more positive note, a dawn of a new age. All of these were acceptable to her. _Comet or not, I'm coming for the Lannisters._ _They will rue the day they took Lord Stark's head._ _Winter will be coming with a side of fire and blood,_ she thought broodingly.

Taelerys wandered alone through the Stark camp looking for Robb. She had embraced the distraught Lady Catelyn before being told to find her son, Robb. Several bannermen bowed to her respectfully as she passed.

"My lady."

"My lady."

"My lady."

Several Stark bannermen had said to her. Taelerys reached a small forest outside camp still incensed by her encounter with Alton Lannister and his cousin, the Kingslayer. There was no sorrow. Only rage by this point. Why do dragon dreams have to be true? she wondered.  
She heard some screams and the sound of a sword slashing wood nearby. As Taelerys drew closer, she saw Robb, fully armored, slashing his sword against a tree while crying. The Targaryen merely stood there watching while Robb took his anguish out on a tree. "You've ruined your sword," Taelerys pointed out in a bland tone.

Robb dropped his barren sword to the ground and went to Taelerys. She hugged him and caressed his neck, trying to console him. The new Lord of Winterfell couldn't help but cry into the wolf fur of her long black cloak. "Shh! Shh! Shh!" she cooed to him.  
He withdrew from the hug, his bright blue eyes bloodshot with tears and hate. "l'll kill them all. Every one of them. l will kill them all." Robb merely said in a monotone voice. "Will you help me?"

"Of course I will," Taelerys managed to say with a sad smile, holding Robb even tighter. "You lot are all I've got left in this world."

* * *

Taelerys had stopped praying to the gods after they had taken her family away. There was no light in the Seven. However, over the years, she did find herself in the godswood from time to time. If the Seven won't answer me, perhaps the Old Gods will. Taelerys had said to herself. When Robb and Taelerys returned, Lady Cateln was standing at the edge of the forest with tears in her eyes.

"Your grandfather would like to see you," Lady Catelyn croaked. "He is very ill."

"I cannot, Mother, and I'm sorry. Both for your sake and grandfather's. But I must call a council. We've heard word from the south that Renly Baratheon has claimed his brother's crown."

Taelerys was too bitter to be shocked by the news. "Renly? Stannis is next in line to be king..."

"That didn't stop Renly though," Galbart Glover replied.

There was a war meeting at the Stark camp. They all sat at the table composed of four large tables that night by torchlight. As well as the light of the bleeding star in the sky. It was brighter than a full moon. Robb, of course, sat at the end of the table with Taelerys seat angled towards the corner. Ser Edmure sat in for his father who was too sick to attend. Next to him, his uncle Ser Bryndon and the Tully's bannerman to his right. On the opposite of the table, the Stark bannerman and others who had joined their cause. Taelerys only recognized Lord Janos Barcken and Lord Tytos Blackwood, who were seated as far away from each other as possible. The men argued all throughout the night. There was too much to discuss with the execution of Lord Stark and the two proclaimed kings in the land.

Jonos Bracken spoke over the chattering lords. "The proper course is clear - pledge fealty to King Renly and move south to join our forces with his."  
Robb let out a sigh. "Renly is not the king."

"You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey, my lord. He put your father to death." Lord Bracken reminded him with a look of confusion. Robb continued as if Lord Bracken had said nothing. "That doesn't make Renly king. He's Robert's youngest brother. lf Bran can't be Lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can't be king before Stannis."

"Do you mean to declare us for Stannis?" Lord Bracken then asked.

"Renly is not right! lf we put ourselves behind Stannis…" Galbart Glover then interjected.

After Robb declared that Renly was not the king, the council was back to arguing and planning once more. Only one thing was clear: no one wanted to bend the knee to Joffrey. Now, there was no king to declare for. Peace was absolutely out of the question at this point. What the Lannisters did to Lord Stark was outrageous and unforgivable. _All I want is a few lion pelts,_ Taelerys thought to herself. _But how many thousands of men have to die for it?_  
Suddenly, Robb slammed his new sword on the table, slicing the Lannister peace treaty in half, as well as embedding the blade into the wood. All was silent around the table as a few pieces of paper fluttered to the now damaged table. "They murdered my lord father and have taken my sister hostage," Robb stated. "This is the only peace I offer them."

The lords shouted in praise and encouragement for that one. Lady Catelyn shook her head with disapproval. "No war will bring back my lord husband, but perhaps peace can bring back my daughters."

"Then that means that my sons would have died for nothin'," Lord Rickard Karstark pointed out. "I will never bend the knee to any Lannisters!"  
The other lords shouted loudly in approval and took up the call. Taelerys was relieved that they all felt this way. She wanted a war for all the Lannisters had taken from her. Just like these men did.

The Greatjon silenced all the musings by slamming his onto the table. He roared, "My Lords! Here is what l say to these two kings. Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in the South? What do they know of the Wall or the Wolfswood? Even their gods are wrong! Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? lt was the dragons we bowed to, not the stag or the lion! And here sits the last dragon next to our lord! There sits the only king l mean to bend my knee to–the King in the North!"

The Greatjon bowed to Robb with his sword unsheathed; Robb rose. The Greatjon placed his sword at his feet and knelt. Lord Rickard was the next to rise. "l'll have peace on those terms. They can keep their Red Castle and their iron chair too." He bowed to Robb and extended him his sword. "The King in the North!"  
Taelerys stood to her feet. "We may no longer be betrothed and the dragons no longer rule the realm, but help me avenge my family and I'll help you conquer the whole world if that's what you desire." Robb didn't say anything for a moment. Taelerys drew her sword, kneeling before Robb and offering the blade to him. "Before you is Blackfyre, the fabled sword of my ancestor Aegon the Dragon, who used it to conquer the realm. My sword is yours in victory and defeat, from this day until my very last."

Robb was reluctant to accept the sword, not just because it was the ancestral sword of her house. That was a material item. It would mean accepting his role as a king. That was what this sword meant. There was only utter devotion in the Targaryen's Valyrian eyes and in the eyes of his lords. Robb accepted Blackfyre, holding it for all to see.

"The King in the North!" The Greatjon bellowed.

The river lords rose as well, drawing their swords, kneeling at his feet, and swearing their allegiance to him. After doing so, they stood back on their feet and began chanting, "The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North!"

Taelerys soon joined in with them while Catelyn looked wearily at the whole scene. "The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North!" They continued to chant. Her eyes went back to the blood red comet lighting up the night time sky. It was herald meant for her, Taelerys knew that. Yet, she didn't know what lay ahead of her. _How could I ever do anything important in this life if Robb is the king? Is there something much greater than being a queen?_ Taelerys wondered.

* * *

"I'd go look inside Aegon's Vault for the damn crown, but the vault is so damn big that I'd never find it."

"Worry not, I want to have one of my own." Robb reassured her, trying it on. It seemed to Taelerys that the weight of it pressed heavy on Robb's mop of auburn hair. He had a hard time adjusting his head to it. Taelerys knew he would have a hard time adjusting to being a king too. The ancient crown of the Kings of Winter had been lost three centuries ago, yielded up to Aegon the Conqueror when Torrhen Stark knelt in submission. It was said that Aegon placed it in his dragon-made vault, but there was a rare chance of finding it in there. Taelerys admired the crown, which was a circlet. Lord Hoster Tully's smith had done a good job. Robb's crown looked much as the other was said to have looked in the tales told of the Kings of Winter. It was an open circlet of hammered bronze with the runes of the First Men and iron spiked longswords that had adorned the crowns of the Kings in the North. It seemed to match the description that the Maester had given the blacksmith.

Taelerys stood by the new ruler of the North in the Great Hall of Riverrun for the prisoner to be brought. Before they arrived, she saw Robb push back the crown on his head, as though the weight of it were too much. "I suppose it's not an easy thing to be a ruler at eighteen." Catelyn muttered from beside her.

"He wasn't meant to be though," Taelerys answered back.

Catelyn shook her head. "No, he wasn't."

Her son was only meant to be a lord. However, Taelerys was once a princess of the seven kingdoms. Now, she was nothing more than a ward of their family. She could've been so much more, especially now that Taelerys hatched two dragons. The only explanation of surviving wildfire had to be magic. But, this was all she was ever destined for.

Catelyn wondered if being a ward was better than the fates that befell her niece and nephew, Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon. However, Taelerys seemed quite comfortable where she stood now. Beside the throne of the man she considered to be her brother, King Robb Stark.

Robb had Olyvar bring him his sword so he could lay it bare across his legs, an open threat. Grey Wind strolled in and sat at his side. Now, Taelerys knew why he wanted her to bring Rhaegon and Daenys. She happily went along with this. After hearing Alton Lannister spew some bullshit about the comet heralding Joffrey, Taelerys still yearned for more payback.

"Kneel before your king, Lannister," Taelerys barked as Alton Lannister was brought in. Robb noticed how much she was enjoying this. Rhaegon and Daenys shrieked at the Lannister as he approached, causing him to stop in his steps before being shoved forward. He didn't look like much of a Lannister now that Taelerys thought about it. None of that fabled beauty, only a washed up boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He was covered with muck and his time as a prisoner did nothing to improve his appearance. Alton was nervous and couldn't stop blinking. He didn't even glance up at Taelerys or her dragons. _Perhaps the Kingslayer has told him,_ Taelerys bemused. She hoped he felt like such an idiot afterwards.

"You're Ser Alton Lannister?" Robb asked after motioning him to rise.

"I am, Your Grace." Alton said nervously, before rising to his feet. He only said the title out of fear, only a day earlier Alton had proclaiming his cousin Joffrey as the king. Catelyn knew that the Kingslayer would never agree to that title.

"I offer your cousins peace if they meet my terms. First, your family must release my sisters. Second, my father's bones must be returned to us so he may rest beside his brother and sister in the crypts beneath Winterfell. And the remains of all those who died in his service must also be returned. Their families can honor them with proper funerals." Robb said to the prisoner. The crown had only arrived today and he had only fought, as well as won, three battles, yet he sounded much older than he was.

"An honorable request, Your Grace." Alton pointed out.

"Third... Joffrey and the Queen Regent must renounce all claim to dominion of the North. From this time, till the end of time, we are a free and independent kingdom." Robb continued, starting to pet Grey Wind on his brown furry head. The dragons never grew restless in the arms of her mother.

Alton looked at him wide-eyed. The man gulped nervously when Grey Wind began to growl at the Lannister, almost as frightened of him as he was of the two kitten-sized dragons. "I would be most glad to bring your message to the queen." He then said.

"Neither Joffrey nor any of his men shall set foot in our lands again. If he disregards this command, he shall suffer the same fate as my father, only I don't need a servant to do my beheading for me." Robb listed to the prisoner. "These are my terms. If the Queen Regent and her son meet them, I'll give them peace. If not, I will litter the south with Lannister dead."

"King Joffrey is a Baratheon, Your Grace." Alton said shakily.

Some laughter and snickering rang throughout the hall amongst the lords and bannermen. Taelerys couldn't help but give a smug smile to the Lannister. Robb raised a hand to silence them. The crowd grew quiet. "Joffrey is a Baratheon, you say? That joke will never get old," Robb smiled. "You'll ride at daybreak, Ser Alton. That will be all for tonight."

* * *

**Sorry this one was a bit short and uneventful, I promise things will pick up. I just want to make it up to you guys by uploading quicker since I've been gone for so long. Hope you enjoyed nonetheless :p**


	19. The Diplomat

Sending Theon to the Iron Islands in order to treat with his father, Lord Balon Greyjoy, was beyond mad. Taelerys knew that Balon would never send his ships or make an alliance against the Lannisters. She had no idea what Robb was thinking. Lord Eddard had to go to war with Theon's father in order to stop his rebellion. Just like he did against her own father, the Mad King. They were traitors who only bent the knee to stay alive after slaughtering so many of their kin, including Balon's two sons and holding one hostage. Those Ironborn would be out for blood if anything. At least, Taelerys would.

Apparently, his ships were more important than loyalty. Yet, her idea of hiring sell swords from Essos was a bad idea. Even the Lannisters had sell swords of their own. They had the mountain clans of the Vale helping to fight their way. Sometimes Taelerys had a hard time trusting Theon, although she wouldn't go that far to say he was treacherous. Only lecherous.

Originally, Taelerys was going to go into his tent to yell at Robb over this. Only for his mother Lady Catelyn to beat her to it. _Perhaps it's better if he hears it from his mother, _Taelerys thought to herself. _Mother always knows best._

After Lady Catelyn had debated Robb about having Balon Greyjoy, Taelerys entered the tent. Robb looked disgruntled from months of fighting off the Lannister raids. But Taelerys had to talk to him, though she would do so more gently this time. "How can we talk of peace while the Lannisters rape, burn and pillage our borders like a pestilence? We ought to be marching on King's Landing," Taelerys asked, scooping herself a cup of water. She found the grey and blue colored dress with the high padded collar to be uncomfortable, aside from itchy. It reminded her of how powerless she was compared to a man. Taelerys practically had to walk around with Rhaegon and Daenys in order to demand respect. Except from Robb and his mother.

"We simply don't have the numbers for it," Robb answered, unhappily.

Taelerys took a seat next to the man who was once supposed to be her husband. Now, just a find and confidante. "We don't grow stronger sitting here and we lose our strength every day," Taly told him, making Robb even more miserable. "But not my dragons. In just a couple short years, they will be the size of a house and mightier than an army."

The idea did make Robb smile only a little bit. "Perhaps, but we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket. Or I guess in your case, dragon eggs." Taelerys smiled back, relieved that he was lightening up a bit after so long. Taelerys needed it to. Robb continued on, "Edmure sent all of the river lords back to defend their lands. That's why we aren't as strong."

"They have pledged themselves to you, Robb, but they cannot remain idle while their lands are being ravaged and their people put to the sword." She answered. "We have to find another way. But I will never stress it enough, we cannot have peace with the Lannisters, your father's killers."

Robb removed the crown from his head, cracking his neck as he did so. He gazed at his crown, which was modeled after the long-lost one of the previous Kings in the North. A simple circlet of bronze with the runes of the First Men engraved into it, and nine black iron spikes shaped into longswords. It was beautiful, but no doubt weighed heavy on Robb.

"I can't release the Kingslayer for Sansa and Arya, my lords would hang me by my feet if I did. Though if I don't, my mother certainly will." Robb sighed. "But, if this crown is the price I must pay to have Sansa and Arya returned to us safely, then I will do it."

Taelerys nodded, taking it in. She was still uncertain of what Robb meant by that. He placed his crown beside him on the wooden table inside the tent. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to go to Stannis Baratheon and offer an alliance," Robb stated, his bright eyes staring into hers. There was something so unique in Taly's eyes in how softly lavender they were. The request made Taelerys stand up in shock. There were a few moments of silence between them. Only the sounds of flames of the candles inside the tent flickering could be heard.

"I thought you were going to conquer the Seven Kingdoms," Taelerys recalled, looking away from the small candle to Robb. "These men have declared you their king."

"I am no king," Robb answered. "I'm going to King's Landing, there I will avenge my father and free my sisters. Then, we will go home to Winterfell."

"And the Iron Throne?" Taelerys asked sharply. "Who will be in control of the Seven Kingdoms? The country will be in complete disarray if one is not chosen soon."

"The North won't, but the rest of the country is not my responsibility nor is it my desire. It is Stannis Baratheon's by right, a truth that my father died for."

"Renly also seeks the Iron Throne." She pointed out. "He also has more thousands of more men than Stannis and is far more charming, from what I've heard."

Robb was looking down at her, despite sitting down and Taelerys standing up. She wondered if it was the war that made him grow so fast, or the crown they had put on his head. "Renly is the not the next in line to the Iron Throne," Robb reasoned. "By the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, Stannis is the rightful king. I will follow my father's wishes and do what no one else is doing in the kingdom right now."

"No disrespect to you or the memory of Lord Stark, Robb. But honor is what got him killed in the first place. I don't want the same to happen to you," Taelerys said while looking away from Robb, a hard look on her face. "Use a little self-preservation. Your men certainly won't hang you from your feet for that."

Grey Wind growled, as if he sensed Robb's anger, not matter how gently Taelerys had said that. Her words resonated with Robb, but he had already made up his mind. "It has been decided," Robb stated, getting up and placing a tender hand on her shoulder. "You will ride tomorrow at dawn to Dragonstone and commune with Stannis."

He was only a step away from her, being only half a foot taller. "Why me? Send another one of your lords to go? I'm just a woman." Taelerys insisted with confusion in her wide eyes.

"Because I don't trust any one of these lords as much as I trust you," Robb answered. "Only you and mother. If we do this then we can avenge my father and bring Sansa and Arya back. Then we can go home and be a family again. Will you do this for me?"

"What if Stannis decides to keep me hostage?" Taelerys breathed. "What about Rhaegon and Daenys?"

"I doubt he would if we're trying to broker an alliance with them," Robb reasoned. "And they'll be safe, no matter what happens."

Taelerys let out a heavy sigh. "I could never say no to a king, I will go on your behalf."

It wasn't a request from the way he said it, but Taelerys knew she didn't have a choice. Robb was confident, courageous, and smart in the battlefield. He was right about forming an alliance with one of the Baratheon brothers and was right. She had to trust him. Robb smiled and wrapped his arms around Taelerys in a tight embrace, knowing that at any given moment, that all she had left could be taken from her once more.

* * *

Taelerys did not sleep well that night, not that she hadn't since the war started. But it was the dream she had that made it her worst night. She was with her family. The one she had before the Starks. Her mother. Rhaella holding her newborn sister in her arms, Viserys standing beside her, Elia smiling adoringly over Rhaenys and Aegon, and Rhaegar, crowned, on the Iron Throne. Aerys was nowhere in sight. As soon as Taelerys stepped forward to embrace what had been taken from her, their faces vanished. More reappeared before them. Ned, her Lord Stark, smiling at her with an equally as happy Catelyn, with Robb and Jon practicing their swordplay, Sansa and Arya holding hands, Bran no longer cripple, and Rickon just a babe.

Sweet it was, it was only a dream and gone far too soon. Her eyes were open and Taelerys was awake. But she lay underneath the furs wishing she could go back. After reminiscing on the dream, that had once been her life, Taelerys threw the covers over and got ready. She hated wearing dresses, everyone at Winterfell knew that. However, Lady Catelyn and Robb had insisted she at least look somewhat decent when presenting herself to Stannis Baratheon. It wasn't like the Northerners were fancy with their clothing as they weren't rich like those damn Lannisters. So what did it matter that Taelerys stood before Stannis in her leather clothing. _They just don't want me dressing like a man,_ she thought bitterly. _They don't want me to look powerful or odd._

She had hatched two dragons and survived a batch of wildfire. Taelerys also somehow extinguished the wildfire. All only possible after opening Aegon's Vault. Undeniable proof of the dragon._ But, perhaps a baby dragon only…_

Catelyn gave Taelerys one of her more finer dresses to wear as she was lacking in more lady-like attire. It was a wonder where Arya got her manners from. It was a plain blue dress with the maroon Tully fish embroidered at the top with the swirls of the ocean stitched around it. The dress was so pale it could almost have been mistaken for grey. The color of House Stark.

Taelerys put the deep sea green petticoat with three fish clasps. The collar itched terribly at her neck, leading Taelerys to try and take it off. She was only making a mess of things so Catelyn readjusted it for her. "I thought I was going to there to broker an alliance, not attend a ball," Taelerys complained, causing Catelyn to smile. The first in months.

"Thank you for the compliment," Catelyn replied, her newly formed wrinkles showing on her face. "I didn't realize I dressed so nicely."

She had given birth to five children and still looked as beautiful and youthful as ever. Until this war started. Her face had started to get a little bit gaunt, but the beauty and grace of her Tully looks were still there. Taelerys gave a half-smile to the woman who had raised her like a daughter. "Arya and I sure as hell didn't." she joked.

The comment drained the smile from Catelyn's face, the sadness and shimmer of tears returning to her eyes. Taelerys lowered her head in shame. "Forgive me, my lady," She quickly apologized. "It was not my intention to ruin your day, lest of all at the start of dawn."

She kept a strong face regardless, smiling and wiping away the tears that threatened to fall. Catelyn's long fingers fixed the collar. "I know," she said quietly. "The only thing that can make me happy is to have them returned. I can only pray that this alliance with Stannis will bring us one step closer to Sansa and Arya."

"And vengeance," Taelerys added.

Catelyn nodded before saying her goodbyes to her. She had to write a letter to Bran and Rickon telling them that they were okay. None of us is okay, she thought. Taelerys hadn't received a letter back from Jon in weeks. Nor from her great-uncle Maester Aemon. She wished he was here, but Jon had his own war to fight against the wildlings.

Taelerys docked on the _Ebon Fish _with Captain Brod Blackwood agreeing to sail her to Dragonstone to meet with Stannis Baratheon. She was flanked by Ser Silas Poole as well as a Frey. Taelerys was slightly annoyed that another one of Lord Walder Frey's damn sons would be accompanying her. _How many children does that bastard have? _Taelerys thought bitterly to herself. Robb had to adhere to some of Walder's requests, which included boosting the status of House Frey, handing out titles like candy. But Taelerys could never forget the lecherous gaze he gave her when crossing the Twins. _Just when I thought I had escaped those mud-colored eyes._

Taelerys was wrong. Instead of getting what she thought would be a miniature of the weasel-faced river lord, she got a handsome young man. Slick brown hair, big brown eyes, and square jaw. He also had a little bit of stubble. "My Lady?" the Frey asked, noticing that she was staring at him for a long time.

She blinked her violet eyes. "Pardon me for staring, I was never told your name." Taelerys said.

His brown eyes met hers. "Ser Perwyn Frey, at your service." He smiled, his dimples showing. How Walder Frey managed to have a fairly handsome son that looked nothing like him, Taelerys would never know. _Bet he gets it from his mother,_ the thought making her laugh. Ser Perwyn didn't have the same disgusting lust-filled look in his eyes that his father did, but Taelerys did notice him taking a good look at her too. While he looking nothing like Lord Walder, she hoped that personality wise that he wasn't either.

"How long until we arrive?" Taelerys asked impatiently.

Captain Brod Blackwood let out a chuckle, handling the wheel of his fine ship. "We've barely left Riverrun and already you're asking when we will arrive," he smiled, showing some of his missing teeth. "Patience, my friend."

She peered over the ship into the waves of the river crashing against it. "Robb thinks that just because the Targaryens once owned Dragonstone that suddenly I'm the most fit to talking with Stannis," Taelerys grumbled under her breath. "He has the personality of a lobster."

"I don't care what it takes," Ser Silas said with an edge to his gruff voice. "Sansa and Arya aren't the only ones the Lannisters are holding hostage. They have my niece Jeyne, after already taking the heads of my brother and sister."

The middle-aged man deeply resembled his elder brother Vayon Poole, and most likely Jeyne and her younger sisters. Taelerys had forgotten that Silas and his wife cared for Jeyne's younger sisters who were too little to go to King's Landing. That quite possibly saved their lives. _Everyone has everything to lose in this war, how could I have forgotten?_ Taelerys recalled sadly.

* * *

Taelerys felt as though she were being shaken roughly. She awoke with a jolt from her sleep, covering herself with the sheets when realizing that it was Ser Perwyn Frey that had awoken her. "We ought to reach Dragonstone within the hour, my lady," he announced while leaving her a bowl of vegetable soup. "I'll leave you to change."

That made Taelerys roll her eyes. She didn't recall asking for a handmaiden. "No, please, stay and watch." Taelerys said sarcastically, before slamming the door on Ser Perwyn before she could see the bewildered look on his face. After eating and changing into the nice clothes that Lady Catelyn lent her, Taelerys brushed her long, silvery hair before braiding it into a swirled bun on the back of her head.

Afterwards, she walked out onto the deck where the harsh winds blew right through her. It was freezing out but this was a sight she didn't want to miss. Dragonstone. The ancient fortress that was built by the Valyrians and their advanced masonry, using black stone, or dragonstone, which was harder than steel or diamond. It was said only magic could work the material. Taelerys had never seen the once ancient seat of her fallen house before. She was always locked up in the Red Keep and had only been five at the time of the fall.

It was a place of dragons and dragonlords, where her ancestor Aegon the Conqueror resided as he plotted his invasion of Westeros. When the clouds cleared, Taelerys knew it was every bit like she imagined. Large, daunting, and terrifying. She could see an onyx battlement awaiting them, where the dark waters of the bay crashed against it. While the black citadel was magnificent, it had an ethereal feel to Taelerys. She had never seen a building so intricately designed, some of the masonry impossible to accomplish with just two hands. There had to be magic involved with its creation. Although Taelerys was happy to see the ancient seat of House Targaryen for herself, it was no doubt a grim place. It was surrounded by the storm and shores, with pale grey smoke rising from the mountain at its back.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Ser Perwyn asked from beside Taelerys, gazing at the monstrosity as they sailed against the rough waves. "Hard to believe Aegon the Conquerer lived here. Your ancestors, Lady Taelerys."

Irritated by having a Frey here, as well as intruding on her personal space, Taelerys sort of snapped. "It is also where my brother resided before he died, the sister whom I've never met was born, and where my mother died giving birth to her."

Ser Perwyn and Ser Silas were puzzled by her outburst as Taelerys retreated to the other side of the boat. Captain Brod Blackwood merely shook his head. "If you thought fighting a war was easy, charmin' a girl is even more rough." He smiled gleefully. The Frey was not at all amused by the Blackwood's little joke.

Taelerys stood at the bow of the boat, which had a large mermaid carved into it, while the _Ebon Fish_ tossed its anchor once close enough to the shore. She could see a couple groups of men waiting for them on the beach. Ser Perwyn offered his hand to Taelerys to help her get into the rowboat, but she rebuffed him by stepping in by herself. Captain Brod Blackwood gave them a two-fingers salute once she was on it. "Good luck, milady!" He said to her, before disappearing onto the deck of his ship.

Taelerys seated herself by Ser Silas on the small rowboat, while a few members of the Ebon Fish crew, rowed through large waves towards the shore. The wind was even more cold the closer they got to the sand. Taelerys remained in the boat as the men jumped into the shallow, yet freezing water to pull it ashore. As Taelerys didn't want to get her dress or feet wet, Ser Silas seemed to read her mind and carried her the few feet to shore. There, Stannis's men waited for them.

When she removed the scarf from her head, which was almost blown away from the winds, the men seemed to recognize her. A slim man in his fifties approached, brown hair and eyes, with a beard that was starting to grey. "My lady," he called. "I am Ser Davos Seaworth, Lord of Rainwood and Hand of the King, as it please you. We have been expecting you."

Taelerys raised a silvery eyebrow. "Have you, now? I didn't know the Baratheons had seers amongst their ranks."

A rather disgruntled look appeared on Ser Davos' grey bearded face. "Unfortunately, so, my lady."

Ser Perwyn and Ser Silas exchanged confused looks while Taelerys remained stone-faced, although she was also secretly wondering what Ser Davos had meant. Taelerys ignored what he said and stated her purpose. "I come on behalf of my warden, Robb Stark, the King in the North, to treat with Stannis Baratheon, the King in the Narrow Sea."

"King Stannis is crowned and anointed lord of all Seven Kingdoms, my lady," Ser Davos answered, although respectively. "His Grace awaits you at the Painted Table with his host, it shall be my great honor to escort you to him." The knight raised a hand, which Taelerys noticed was missing four joints, and his men flanked around her. This made Taelerys wondered if she was being escorted or captured. There was the risk that Taelerys would be captured by Stannis, but she agreed with Robb that it would be better her than Catelyn or another lord. All she could do was trust the honor of Lord Stannis and hope that this would work.

* * *

**O. M. G.**

**I am so sorry it took so long to update, I was having writer's block and I just felt compelled to do other things, among having this great thing called real life. It's been hectic as always. Hopefully now I can update more frequently. I was stuck SO LONG on this chapter until I got to the Dragonstone part. That was the fun part of writing for me :3 and yeah, I am altering the story just a wee bit and added a few characters. It's not going to be too drastic like how the GoT show essentially fucked up the Dorne plot line or Lady Stoneheart. But enough to make it (hopefully) a lil different so you don't know what to expect. I know I can't please everyone and that I sometimes mistakes like grammar or spelling. Even plot holes. There's just so damn much to the GoT world that it's easy to keep up the continuity, while deciding what to include or leave out, and accidentally create plot holes because of it. So I apologize.  
**

**Anyways. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Again, I apologize for my long absence from updating this story. Guess GRRM is rubbing off on me in terms of how damn long it takes for him to release his books :p**

**Thank you so much for all the support from you guys. I really appreciate it :)  
**


	20. Dragonstone

Dragonstone was the place of refuge for her ancestors when the Doom destroyed Valyria. There were small dragon frame gates and dragon claws holding the torches that lit the hall. The fortress had its designed centered around a dragon, although it had other grotesque creatures like basilisks, hellhounds, wyverns, manticores, and such. Strangely enough, as Taelerys walked up the vast staircases towards the top floor of the Stone Drum, she found this place relaxing. It didn't feel like another other place Taelerys had been to. It wasn't just the design, Dragonstone almost felt…_alive_ to her. For such a grim place, it had a powerful atmosphere of its own.

After climbing the mountain of stairs, Taelerys arrived in the Chamber of the Painted Table where they all awaited her. Behind her were Ser Silas and Ser Perwyn, all surrounded by Baratheon men. Her eyes darted everywhere, taking in the very room where Aegon the Conqueror planned for the invasion of Westeros. The Painted Table was more than thirty feet long and about fifteen feet wide. All of Stannis's council were seated along the edges of the table; lords and commanders of the King of Dragonstone.

All of them fell silent when Taelerys entered the large room, although they whispered among themselves. She felt herself growing nervous in the itchy Tully gown that Lady Catelyn lent her. Ser Davos cleared his throat, stepping forward. "Your Grace, may I present to you, Taelerys Dragonblood—er, Lady Taelerys Targaryen," Ser Davos then said awkwardly. She sent him a curious look. Taelerys didn't know what to feel. Her name had travelled as far as across the Narrow Sea.

_Lord Stark taught me never to be arrogant,_ Taelerys remembered. The scars on her arm from Joffrey reminded her of that. She dealt with a bratty prince who was now unrightfully a king, now Taelerys had to deal with a stern king out of four that were self-proclaimed. Hopefully that wouldn't leave scars if she messed up. That's if she survived. But Taelerys had a feeling that wouldn't be the case with Stannis.

The man at the end of the table stood up, tall and broad shouldered—Taelerys immediately knew that to be Stannis—his eyes and heavy brow fixated on her. She saw that Stannis was a gruff looking man, having black hair that was greying and was starting to bald. There was a tightness to his face as if his skin were hard leather, but not gaunt. He just didn't look that particularly friendly to her. "Lady Targaryen," Stannis nodded to her. "It is an honor to finally meet you."

"As is you, Your Grace," Taelerys replied. She reluctantly bowed to the King in Dragonstone, forgetting that she was supposed to curtsy as was proper of a lady. Stannis looked at her with no emotion on his face.

"I've seen better bows on a ship," he commented, making her face turn red with embarrassment. Stannis sat down and gestured to the seat to his left. "Please, have a seat."

Taelerys looked back to Ser Silas, nervous, whom nodded to her with encouragement. She once felt like a mighty dragon but felt overwhelmed by all the men that surrounded her at the Painted Table. Seasoned warlords and bannermen compared to a woman who had never fought a real battle in her life. Though that changed when she saw a woman sitting on the other side of Stannis. It was hard to miss her given how vibrant a red her hair and dress were. Just as Taelerys was feeling relieved at having another woman in the room, that changed upon seeing the odd smile on her face. Taelerys tried to keep as stone a face as Stannis did for these negotiations.

Ser Davos grabbed the chair for her and she politely muttered her thanks to him before being seated. Taelerys noticed that the crowned stag that decorated the king's grey tunic was inside a heart that was in flames, a little different from the black crowned stag of House Baratheon. A cadet branch of the 'original' House Baratheon, seeing as how there were now three of them.

"First thing's first," Stannis turned to the Targaryen with a hard look on his face. "I will see to it that the Lannisters answer for his murder. I had no affection for the man, but he nonetheless followed the laws of the land and did what was right, and for that he has my respect."

_He sure doesn't look sincere,_ Taelerys thought, remembering that the Usurper considered Lord Stark to be his only brother. On the happiest day of his life, she wondered if the king would still have that emotionless look on his face. "Thank you, Your Grace," Taelerys nodded. "King Robb has sent me as an ambassador of sorts to form an alliance with you."

"So, I've heard. There is a problem in that though, my lady," Stannis pointed out, getting straight to the point. "There can only be one king and there are three others who have falsely declared themselves king."

Already they were off to a good start. "Robb never declared himself a king, that was something the Northeners have done," Taelerys defended. "They are a very passionate people. Also, Robb has no desire for the Iron Throne, he only wishes to avenge his father and rescue his sisters."

"All of the kingdoms belong to me, including the North. I will not have anyone attempt to take what is mine by right. Robb Stark is no king just like that bastard on the Iron Throne and that my traitor of a brother. A milkmaid who calls herself a queen is no queen, just like a dragon dressed as a fish is no fish."

Taelerys quickly overlooked her attire before shifting uneasily in her seat. And it wasn't because of the dress Lady Catelyn had given her. That was when Ser Davos Seaworth intervened. "Surely this can be overlooked, Your Grace. All in all, the North is willing to serve you," He reasoned. "Now that your brother Renly will not help us, the Tyrells and Randyll Tarly have declared for him. We're going to need all the help we can get if we are to slay Renly _and_ the Lannisters."

"A king does not need to beg for what is his. Lady Targaryen, if your betrothed supports me as his father supported Robert, he'll not find me ungrateful. I will gladly confirm him in all his lands, titles, and honors. He can rule in Winterfell as he pleases. He can even go on calling himself King in the North if he likes, so long as he bends the knee and does me homage as his overlord. King is only a word, but fealty, loyalty, service…those I must have."

No one outside of the North knew that the betrothal between Taelerys and Robb had been broken in favor of a Frey girl. But Taelerys said nothing about that, "And if he will not give them to you, Your Grace?"

"I mean to be king, my lady, and not of a broken kingdom. I cannot say it plainer than that. Three hundred years ago, a Stark king knelt to our ancestor Aegon the Conqueror, when he saw he could not hope to prevail. That was wisdom. Your betrothed must be wise as well. If he joins me, this war is good as done."

Taelerys let out a quick sigh. She had tried convincing Robb just to swear fealty to Stannis instead of an alliance. It wasn't like anything was going to change much. Stannis would be the king but only in title. Robb would still very much be in control of the North. She very much believed he was wrong until he asked 'Would you trust the brother of the Usurper with the Seven Realms?'. That had made Taelerys wince. But she realized over the journey to Dragonstone that she couldn't hold Stannis accountable for the things his brother did, otherwise Taelerys would be doing just the same as the Usurper, whom held her accountable for the things her own family did.

Stannis considered it for a moment before setting his blue eyes back on Taelerys. He had the same eyes as his brother. Another bannerman at the table spoke up, "If Robb Stark wanted this alliance so badly, he would have come to pay homage to the true king himself, rather than hiding behind his betrothed's skirts."

"Robb is out there fighting a war," Taelerys replied just as harshly. "Not hiding behind my skirts!"

"I have a hard time wanting to ally myself with you Starks when you take what is mine by right." Stannis declared.

"Your brother Robert didn't take the Iron Throne by right, he took the Iron Throne by his warhammer," Taelerys answered bitterly. "The Iron Throne rightfully belongs to my brother Viserys, but you don't see me declaring for him now do you?"

"Milady!" Ser Silas scolded in a berating manner. The last thing he wanted was for the Targaryen girl to upset the King in the Narrow Sea. The Baratheons were famous for their temper, no matter how passionless of a man Stannis was in comparison to his brother, the Usurper.

Instead of exploding into a rage like the Usurper surely would have, Stannis was calm and merely shot back at Taelerys with just as much ice in his tone. "A Targaryen could not be trusted with the Iron Throne after the reign of your father, the Mad King," He answered. "The Targaryen madness was becoming too rampant a thing in your bloodline and we could not risk that disease infecting the Seven Kingdoms again. It was nothing personal."

Taelerys gritted her teeth in absolute anger, but she held most of it in. She would not be a rage filled buffoon like the Usurper or insane like her father had been. "Try telling that to the Martells then when you go to claim Dorne," Taelerys retorted with fire, glaring at him. "Whose side do you think they will take? The brother of the Usurper, who put Princess Elia and her children to the sword? Or me, who was the sister-by-marriage to Princess Elia and the aunt of her children? I'm sure they would follow a Targaryen over a Lannister or a Baratheon any day."

"Your Grace, she does have a point," Ser Davos added from beside her, his hands folded respectfully behind his back. "Not even Aegon the Dragon and his sister-wives with their dragons could conquer Dorne. Diplomacy is our only chance at bringing the Martells into the fold and it be likely that Lady Taelerys may the only person to do it. It isn't just Robb Stark we need on our side, but Lady Taelerys as well. You are the rightful heir of your brother Robert, the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men," he continued desperately, "But even so, you cannot hope to triumph without allies."

"He has an ally," said a woman's voice soothingly. "R'hllor, the Lord of Light, the Heart of Fire, and the God of Flame and Shadow."

Taelerys looked to the other side of Stannis, where the woman in red sat. She hadn't taken her eyes off the Targaryen since entering the room, something Taelerys found unnerving. It was a bit difficult trying to avoid her stare, even when looking away, Taelerys could feel it, she thought the woman to be a witch.

Though she was very beautiful, unlike the tales of witches that Old Nan told her. But, the red woman was otherworldly in appearance, much like Dragonstone. Her hair was redder than most redheads that Taelerys had seen, which had just been Lady Catelyn and Sansa for the most part. It couldn't have been a natural hair color. But what Taelerys found the most unsettling were her eyes. Just like her hair, her gown, and her ruby, the woman's eyes were red. _Like blood._

"Well, unless your Lord of Light provides you with ships and an army, you will be needing more allies." Taelerys told her in a rather scornful tone. "Anybody can tell you that."

She had no idea who this woman was at first, but now it was all too clear. Another religious fanatic. Taelerys found it hard to believe that a stern man like Stannis Baratheon would ever believe in religion. "Unless Robb Stark swears fealty to me and declares me his one and only true king, I cannot agree to an alliance with him. But it was most certainly interesting meeting you, Taelerys Targaryen, I can only hope our paths don't cross on the battlefield." Stannis said. "It's a shame your talents lay wasted with a false king."

That made Taelerys gulp uneasily. Most of the men looked at her with desire and appreciation, a beautiful woman that was exotic and like no other in Westeros. A Valyrian. But the way Stannis and the woman in red looked at her was different. A desire that was much different than attraction or lust. She recognized that as power.

He then continued in a bored tone as if he hadn't just scorned her allegiances. "You have had a long journey, you are welcome to rest for the night before leaving at dawn."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Taelerys said bowing her head respectively as was required. "We accept your offer to stay the night and will leave in peace by the morrow."

Taelerys was relieved that he was letting her go in peace, even though she did share bread and salt with the King of Dragonstone. They were in the middle of a war, no one was ever going to be truly safe. Ser Davos pulled her chair back as Taelerys gathered her dress and got up. They all watched as the guards escorted Taelerys and her knights away to a distant part of Dragonstone.

* * *

Upon reaching the guest chambers, Taelerys entered the small room and collapsed on the bed. Finally, she got to sleep in a bed that wasn't rocking or creaking loudly because of the boat. She lay there for several minutes thinking about what had happened. Never had she done a thing like this in her life, having lived secluded in the North for most of her life. Then again, so was Robb and he turned out to be an excellent battle strategist and warrior.

There was a knock at the door. Taelerys sat up immediately, trying to straighten her now matted hair. Most of the bun had stayed in place but stray hairs were everywhere. "Come in," she said in a loud voice.

The guards opened the door for the small girl that entered the room with a trey of food. She set it on the night stand beside Taelerys. "I brought you something to eat," she stated. "Hope you like fish."

"I do," Taelerys replied, politely. "Thank you very much."

Cooked salmon, bread, and cheese with a cup of ginger ale. The best meal she had eaten in the few days it took to get to Dragonstone. _No more of Captain Blackwood's dreadful soup, _she thought with relief. Just as she was about to eat, a small hand dumped a bunch of candied almonds loudly onto the side of her trey. Taelerys merely blinked with surprise before furrowing her brow. After a long, drawn out moment, Taelerys turned to her left to see the girl sitting right next to her on the bed. There was a bright and beaming smile on her face. "Um, thank you?" It was almost a question. "Miss...?"

"Shireen." she answered. That was when the realization hit her. This was the daughter of Stannis and his wife. Of course, she was wearing a nice green and yellow gown. The first thing Taelerys noticed was the greyscale on Shireen's face, which covered the left side of her face and neck. Her dark hair hanging loosely at her shoulders.

"You're the King's daughter now," Taelerys said, now more relaxed and eating casually in front of the child. "What brings the princess to my chambers?"

Shireen plopped a candied almond into her mouth. "I wanted to see the dragons," She admitted, trying her best to hide her excitement. "Did you bring them?"

Taelerys smiled widely with amusement. "I'm afraid not," she replied. "They're the only two dragons in the world and need protection, for now at least. Maybe next time, Your Highness."

That made Shireen whine in disappointment, but didn't dwell too much on it. Taelerys was starting to hope that not be the case. The next time she would likely see her dragons, if it got to that point, would be during the battle. Taelerys only hoped that Shireen might be spared from any potential war against Stannis. "What do they look like?" she asked in a passionate voice.

After swallowing her cheese, Taelerys wiped her mouth and looked at the girl with an amused smile. "The girl has ivory colored scales that shine the colors of the rainbow in the sunlight, and the boy has black scales with crimson flecks." She described to the child.

"How did you even manage to hatch them?" Shireen asked in awe.

Her lips were in a straight line. Taelerys remembered throwing the wildfire at the two Whitehill men to stop them from harming Rickon, inadvertently lighting her own room on fire in the process. The two Whitehell men died and her two dragons were born. _I hatched them with fire and blood,_ Taelerys answered the princess's question in her head. Though she didn't want give the answer on how to hatch dragons to the enemy. Especially to Stannis, there were rumors of a horde of dragon eggs stashed somewhere on Dragonstone. Taelerys was certain they had combed through the island and volcano. She wanted to go look herself but knew that Stannis would never allow her to leave with a dragon egg. That made it pointless to look for a brother or sister for her two dragons.

"It was destiny," Taelerys then answered, despite knowing how stupid it sounded. "I was chosen."

"Oh? That's what Melisandre says of Father too,"

Taelerys raised a silver eyebrow. "Melisandre?"

"She's a red priestess from Essos," Shireen explained. "She said that Father is Azor Ahai reborn."

Taelerys immediately knew of whom Shireen was speaking about. The exotic and beautiful woman seated at the table, embodying the very color of red. This Melisandre was so out of place being at the Painted Table alongside Stannis. "Huh." Was all Taelerys could say.

"Did you give your dragons' names?"

Taelerys snickered, knowing now that these questions weren't going to end. But she wasn't at all bothered by the child or her curiosities. "Of course," she answered. "Their names are Rhaegon and Daenys."

"Those are wonderful and fearsome names," Shireen beamed. "I like them."

"I'm glad you approve," Taelerys joked. "I named them after my brother Rhaegar and sister Daenerys."

_But I haven't another dragon to name after my brother Viserys._

"I read that the Targaryens named their dragons after the ancient gods of Valyria. Well, there were some exceptions. Like Sunfyre, Moondancer, or Seasmoke. I guess they stopped after Balerion the Black Dread, Vhagar, and Meraxes."

Taelerys couldn't help but be impressed by the girl's knowledge and interest in her family history. Although most of her family history was brutal and gory, which was why Taelerys often got angry whenever Sansa fawned over them. They weren't just fairy tales, they were real. "Pretty smart," Taelerys commented. "It's refreshing to know someone loves my family history so much."

"It's sort of my family history too, I am blood of the dragon as well. My great-grandmother was Rhaelle Targaryen," Shireen informed the Targaryen. "Only a drop of dragon's blood. You on the other hand are a true dragon. Your blood is purest while mine is dirty."

Taelerys could feel her heart sink a little at Shireen's words. The Targaryens wed and bed their brothers and sisters in the belief that it would keep their blood pure. Howver, Taelerys believed that this made their blood dirty. As did her grandfather, King Jaehaerys the Second. He had once said that every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods would toss the coin in the air and the world held its breath to see how it will land. How could they say this kept the blood pure when it only installed cruelty and madness into the bloodline? This was what made them unfit to rule and Taelerys unable to trust herself. _What if one day I become made like my father?..._

"You are not dirty, child," Taelerys insisted. "I may be blood of the dragon, but it is tainted. To the contrary, it is yours that is most pure. Yes, you have only a drop of dragon's blood and it will grow smaller with each generation of our line. But it will always be there, never to disappear."

Shireen didn't seem convinced by this though, looking away in shame. "I am tainted, mother says I am. Father didn't get the sons he needed and I am diseased," She said softly, rubbing her fingers over the greyscale on her cheek. "And ugly too."

"You should be proud to bear such scars," Taelerys assured her, knowing that wasn't true. She hadn't met Selyse Baratheon but already didn't like her from the way Shireen spoke of her. "It means you survived, and nothing could be more fitting for one with a drop of dragon's blood to have dragon scales."

That seemed to cheer up Shireen, who smiled up at her before eating another candied almond. From what Taelerys had gathered with meeting this eager princess, Shireen was a sweet and kind child. But she got a sense of sadness from the child as well. So lonely. It was easy for Taelerys to recognize, remembering how lonely she was in trapped in the Red Keep by her cruel father. _A bird in a cage._

To this day, Taelerys sometimes still felt like that. But complained naught about it as she was forever grateful to the Starks for saving her life. _A bird in a cage is better than being dead,_ Taelerys reminded herself. _Isn't it?_

* * *

**Thank you to those who left the lovely reviews. I've always loved Shireen's character and felt like dedicating a little time to Taly and them meeting. Now, shit will get interesting the next chapter, I promise you. Stay tuned and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ;^)**


	21. The Red Woman

Shireen Baratheon left after what seemed to be a millennium of her just talking, not that Taelerys really minded the child. The child seemed to be lonely and sad, but the way her face lit up at telling stories of the dragons of Valyria made Taelerys feel something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Home.

Shireen reminded her of home and…Arya Stark.

Taelerys felt a twist in her stomach from thinking about the little wolf. She missed the times in the study where they would talk and laugh about daily activities or how much of a ninny Sansa was. Or how Arya would relentlessly tease her over Jon Snow. Those good times were gone once again, taken from her by the Lannisters twice over. Taelerys didn't even know if Arya was still alive. No one had heard so much as a peep about her since the war had started, worrying her and Catelyn a great deal. There was plenty to be said of Sansa, who was alive and well in King's Landing. Though Taly doubted that she was treated well given what type of being Joffrey and his brethren were. Joffrey would make sure that Sansa was miserable and that the Starks suffered. What if that blond-haired bastard tortured and killed Arya? Joffrey hated her with every inch of his body for what happened at the Trident.

Taelerys closed her eyes and shifted uncomfortably on her bed, trying not to think about it. The whole situation frightened and overwhelmed her. She would get on her knees and pray the Gods if she knew they were real, if they were at all compassionate to their subjects. So far, Taelerys felt that she had experienced none.

She stayed inside her room reading some of the books that Shireen had left her until it grew dark outside. Taelerys was relieved when the long hours were at last over. Now, she could get some sleep and would no longer had to be awake. Being awake and doing nothing was the worst thing for her.

But that reprieve was short lived when the night was at its darkest. Taelerys saw a bright light pouring through her window and heard a noisy crowd from outside the castle. She tried to ignore the chatter, constantly tossing and turning in the unfamiliar bed. But found Taly found that she couldn't when she heard the voice of the Red Priestess from earlier. Taelerys wasn't listening to what she was saying, but it sounded entrancing. Yet, somehow Taelerys felt confused as it sounded as if the Red Priestess were talking right beside her. Even though she was outside on the beach.

Irritated as well as curious, Taelerys climbed out of bed and walked to the window. On the shores of Dragonstone, in the dark of the night, stood a large number of people crowded around stakes. The beach was illuminated with fiery torches. They were far away, but the first person that Taelerys could spot was the Red Priestess. Her distinctive dark red hair and attire seemed to glow like the fire surrounding her. Taelerys guessed that the two people standing beside her were Stannis and his queen, Selyse.

She pulled the blanket around her body more closely. A sick feeling formed in her stomach when Taelerys saw the stakes and realized people were tied to them. The Red Priestess held out her arms, her baggy red sleeves blowing through the wind. "Accept these tokens of our faith, my Lord, and lead us from the darkness!" She spoke to the crowd, as a couple of people stepped forward and set the stakes aflame. "Lord of Light protect us!" the Red Priestess sang aloud, throwing her head back to the dark skies in ecstasy.

"Here us now my Lord for you were offer up these tokens, that you may cleanse them with fire and you will light our way!" The crowd began to chant. "Here us now my Lord for you were offer up these tokens, that you may cleanse them with fire and light our way!"

There was one distinctive voice that shouted louder than the rest, that Taelerys could make out. The voice of a man riddled with pain and suffering. Those voices were always the ones that Taelerys noticed first. "Selyse!" A man's voice cried out desperately. "Please, I'm your brother! _SELYSE! PLEASE!"_

No one did anything to stop it as the flames consumed him, not even his own sister. Taelerys watched in horror and recognition as the whole beach lit up with the sickening yellow glow of fire. His cries soon turned to screams of agony as he was burned alive. After a few moments, they were silent and all she could hear was the loud chanting of the crowd.

Taelerys was paralyzed as the thoughts and feelings overwhelmed her. The sight of people being burned alive was all too familiar to her. Taelerys looked away and closed her eyes. She tried covering her ears but found that she could not drown out the screams.

Taelerys hated the darkness and how unknown it was to her, but she preferred it over a fire any day. She sat at the edge of her bed, her body trembling in terror at what she had just witnessed. It had been eighteen years since she had last seen someone burned alive. Since the fall of her family, Taelerys thought that the barbaric days of burning people alive were over. She tried not to think about her father and the burnings but found that she just couldn't get it out of her head. Her stomach was starting to act up and Taelerys was doing her best not to get sick.

"It'll be okay, you're going to be okay, Taly," she tried to reassure herself, concentrating on her breathing. "You will be okay. You always make it out okay."

Usually this would work whenever she would get nightmares about her father or the rebellion back in Winterfell. It didn't seem to be working now. Her heart was still beating fast and her mind was full. Sleep should've been the last thing on her mind after witnessing something as horrific as that, but Taelerys couldn't handle being awake. "If only I had nightshade." She sighed heavily.

There was a light rapping at the door. Taelerys immediately froze from where she sat at the end of her bed. She was so startled by it that she almost shrieked. Taelerys didn't understand what anyone would want with her at this hour, but figured that it couldn't be good. Paranoid, she slowly reached for Blackfyre, which was hidden underneath her pillow. "Who is it?" Taelerys asked warily.

"Melisandre of Asshai, may I speak with you for a moment?" came the exotic voice of a woman.

Taelerys figured that it was the Red Priestess she met earlier, who burned those people alive just a few hours ago. "What do you want?" demanded Taelerys in an unfriendly tone.

"To speak with you," She replied. "May I open the door?"

The door was already open before Taelerys could say no. She was nearly blinded by the bright burning candle that Melisandre held. The red woman seemed to hold the room with contempt. "It's rather dark in here," she commented.

"A keen observation," Taelerys said through gritted teeth. "This couldn't wait until morning? I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow."

Melisandre picked up a wick from the table and started lighting the candles in the room. One by one, they soon filled the room with flickering light. "No, it could not," Melisandre answered in a bold tone. "You can catch up on your rest during the journey back to your pointless war."

Taelerys glared at the red woman with only venom in her eyes. She wanted to let this Asshai'I to know that she was not welcome here.

"Well, get on with it then, what do you want?" Taelerys snorted.

Melisandre wasn't at all bothered by the unwelcoming presence from Taelerys. She strode across the room to stoke the dying fire, much to the irate of the Targaryen. The last thing she wanted to see was a fire. Melisandre tossed a couple of logs into the kernels before standing up at Taelerys with a light smile. Her hand was extended towards the burning ambers.

"I want to help you." She simply answered.

Taelerys let out a sneer and before could give her another response, the once dying fire immediately roared to life.

Taelerys sat on her bed startled as the flames thundered and flickered wildly like a bonfire. She didn't understand how a fire could get so bright and tall out of nowhere. Her eyes squinted since the flames overwhelmed the room with its light. No fire could do that naturally. After a couple of moments, the cackling flames died down to just a simple fire.

"You have the gift of blood and fire," Melisandre stat

That statement immediately made her blood begin to boil, Taelerys was quick to respond. "You and Stannis seem to have the gift of blood and fire as well," Taelerys retorted in a scornful tone. "Like how you burned those people alive on stakes tonight? I knew a king who enjoyed doing that too, you're not from Westeros so I'll give you a brief history lesson, it destroyed him and his family in the end. What you see is all that is left of the once great House."

Melisandre had a smile of disapproval on her full lips, looking at Taelerys as if she were a educating a child. "Aerys Targaryen was not a true dragon," The woman simply responded. "There was no real purpose behind what your father did, Lady Targaryen."

"Stannis isn't a true dragon either, he's a deer. As far as I'm concerned, there's no real purpose behind what you're doing either."

"We take no pleasure in taking their lives away but it must be done." Melisandre explained, walking to the window and lighting a candle. "They are heretics and must be purified, the fire cleansed them of their sins. They are in a better place now."

"Still doesn't sound much different from what my father did, I'm sure he thought the same when he killed people too," Taelerys replied harshly, making herself comfortable on the bed. "And I am certain there are less drastic and less _permanent _measures to cleanse one's soul rather than I don't know, _tying them to a stake and burning them alive!"_

There was much bitterness and anger in her voice as she finished the last sentence. Melisandre gave a half-hearted smile to the Targaryen. "Life is not supposed to be rosy, my lady," She answered. "Neither is death."

"Is all you have to say about burning people alive? That life isn't supposed to be rosy? I know that life isn't good, but people like you make it that way. There is no such thing as gods, and if there are, I have no desire to worship them. They are cruel and unjust."

Melisandre let out an exhausting sigh. It was so difficult to make the non-believers understand her. They were so steadfast in their own beliefs that they wouldn't listen to reason even if the truth dropped right in front of their feet. The red priestess felt like she was talking to the female incarnation of Ser Davos. "There are no gods, just two. A god of light and everything good, and a god of darkness and everything evil."

Taelerys scoffed at that. "I've learned not to put my faith in any god. My prayers have gone unanswered for far too long and I won't waste time on a god who does not care for their own creations. If you want something done, you do it yourself."

The woman only smiled wider, tilting her head to the side like a cat. Her long, bright red hair spilled to the side. "You think that folly is the truth?" The ruby in the gold choker that she wore seemed to glow as bright as the bleeding comet. "Perhaps it is because you follow false gods and idols that no one has answered your call?"

Taelerys gave her a scornful look. "It is because the followers are just as false as the gods and idols you worship, they are hypocrites who like to hide behind a book that was written by men and use it to push their own sinister agendas and control people," It was her turn to smirk. "Just like that neat parlor trick you did with the fire just now. I've seen plenty of fire breathing performances to know the smell of explosive powder from anywhere."

Despite having exposed Melisandre, the Targaryen was surprised that she showed no hurt or embarrassment at that. The arrogance was starting to eat away at her. Taelerys had to be careful not to lose her temper. _'And breathe dragon fire,' _she thought.

The red priestess instead gave her a sly smile. "You're right, it was a deception to make you see the truth. Once you step into the light, you see the truth. A trick that will lead you to the truth."

Taelerys rolled her eyes. "More tricks, more lies. Just like Stannis being the supposed Lord of Light's chosen, Shireen talked my ear off about that one. What sort of trick did you play on the Baratheons to get them to believe that?"

"They saw the truth in what I spoke, no deceit like I did with the fire tonight," Melisandre answered. "Stannis will be reborn amidst salt and smoke to wake dragons from stone. He will reforge the great sword Lightbringer that defeated the Long Night those thousands of years ago. A terrible weapon forged with a loving wife's heart. The prophesy is almost fulfilled; the dragons have returned as has his wife, Nissa Nissa."

"I believe in that as much as I do in the Children of the fucking Forest," Taelerys sneered. "That is the most asinine thing I have ever heard, as well as the most insulting. Stannis didn't awaken my dragons, I did. Not some evil god of fire who demands you to make human sacrifices to him."

"You awakened dragons from stone and have used magic on a couple of occasions. You are Nissa Nissa reborn, destined to help Azor Ahai purge the world of the darkness that threatens it once more. Afterwards, you will rule these lands as its queen, for I have seen it in the fire." Melisandre told the Targaryen, who was not at all impressed. "You bring the fire and magic needed to defeat the darkness of this world."

She didn't understand how this red priestess honestly expected anyone to believe her, yet a stern and very logical man like Stannis Baratheon somehow did. Maybe there was a certain magic to the madness that this Melisandre preached. Taelerys could think of no other way on how Melisandre turned Stannis into a believer. Though she did have to admit there was an otherworldly feel about this Melisandre, not like all of the other religious or magical fanatics she had seen back in Winterfell. When she gazed into that vibrant red jewel on her neck choker, they strangely felt alive to her. Almost like it had a presence of its own. Melisandre seemed to have a different aura from any other person she had met and that made Taelerys uncomfortable. What Shireen had told her earlier had made her slightly uncomfortable.

"Father has talked about you a lot, Melisandre wants him to marry you." Shireen had said with a smile.

Taelerys had nearly spat out her cup of wine when the princess had told her this. "I beg your pardon, your Highness?"

"Melisandre thinks you're Nissa Nissa, reborn to help my father defeat his foes as his wife and queen."

"Your father is already married to your mother," Taelerys answered back. "Even if that were somehow true, I'd shove Azor Ahai's flaming sword Lightbringer up his ass if he ever tried sacrificing me."

Her response made Shireen giggle and Taelerys felt embarrassed. She apologized to the princess for her harsh language. The Targaryen forgot that she wasn't in Winterfell anymore and had to act like a proper lady, even if she hated it. But, she couldn't understand why the child seemed happy about this.

Asked about her mother, Shireen shrugged like it was no big deal to her. "Our ancestor Aegon the Conqueror had two wives and together they ruled the kingdoms," She reasoned, then smiling. "Rhaenys was his favorite wife; for every night he spent with Visenya, he spent ten with Rhaenys."

"Yeah but that was…." Taelerys trailed off, still stunned by the unpleasant thought. "What are you saying?"

"I think father would much prefer you over mother; you're young, beautiful, tough…" Shireen trailed off. The thought left Taelerys feeling disgusted although she could understand why Shireen was happy about it. She didn't love her mother. Stannis was old enough to be her own father and wasn't a very attractive man. The last thing

"Mother approves of you too," Shireen told her. "She thinks you would be a better wife and give father the sons he's always wanted. I'd like to have a little brother or a sister, but I just don't want father to forget me."

"I hope he doesn't either," Taelerys muttered, knowing how cold a man Stannis was. "Maybe he was meant to just have you, but that isn't a bad thing, princess."

Shireen smiled and hugged the Targaryen. They were very distant cousins, but the princess couldn't help but feel that they were relatives. Taelerys patted the small girl on her head. The light had refracted off of the dry grey scales on her face.

Taelerys didn't want to end up like Lysa Tully did in having to marry Lord Stark's father figure, Jon Arryn. The thought of marrying Stannis nonetheless disturbed her. There was only reason he would want to marry her. Stannis did want her children, but he didn't want her sons.

He wanted her dragons.

Those were her children and Taelerys wouldn't give them up even if Robb ordered her to. That was the only time she would ever disobey her new lord and king.

The fire crackling loudly brought Taelerys out of her cloud of thoughts, as did the incoherent mumbling of Melisandre. She knelt before the fireplace, poking at the burning wood with a metal rod. Her red eyes met the Targaryen's violet ones through a curtain of crimson hair. "If you want proof, my lady, all you have to do is look into the flames," Melisandre told her. "There's a great power in you, you resist it and that's your mistake. Stannis has Valyrian blood in his veins, as does Shireen, but so do you, my lady."

"Just a drop of Valyrian blood," Taelerys sneered. "But that seems to be more than enough as Stannis is already burning people alive like the last king did."

Melisandre ignored her comment, reveling in her religious conviction. "The dragon has three heads, you have only two for now," she described dreamily, gazing into the fire

"That sounds even more far-fetched than the visions," she scoffed. "I do believe in magic, but unlike you and Stannis, I don't need it. I use my two hands and feet to accomplish my goals."

"You're going to need more than just your two hands and feet to defeat the darkness, my lady,"

"The only darkness is men," Taelerys retorted, letting out a yawn. She was growing tired of this conversation and needed her sleep. "Magic led to the Doom of Valyria and fall of my ancestors, you are messing with forces that you cannot control."

Taelerys noticed the flames reflecting within the red eyes of the red priestess. She knew that the priestess was fanatical in her beliefs and wouldn't stop anyway. The Targaryen wondered if she really could use magic. Melisandre was staring into the vibrant orange and yellow flickering flames. "You won't stop using magic, Lady Targaryen, for I am seeing it right now," she replied with a slight gasp. The red priestess was in a trance. "I see…the third dragon…it will be born soon. You know what it takes to bring a dragon back to stone, and you will do it. The dragon has three heads after all, you only have two."

"Well unless a stork wants to drop that third dragon egg in my lap, that isn't going to happen anytime soon," Taelerys said with disapproval. The red priestess seemed amused by her foul language and impudence. As she gracefully walked towards the door frame, Melisandre stood in front of Taelerys. "We will meet again, my lady," she told her. "I hope with time that you will change your mind and join us. There is so much I can teach you."

"There is nothing I can learn from you, witch."

"If you don't believe me, say a prayer to the Lord of Light and gaze into the fire," Melisandre explained. "But be careful, for the night is dark and full of terrors."

"The night is late and I need my sleep," Taelerys said, motioning her hand to the door frame. "There's the door."

Her dragon dreams were filled with wildfire that night. The screams of all the men and women burned alive by her father rang throughout her mind. The deranged smile and yellow teeth of her father. His eyes glistening with rage and paranoia. Taelerys woke up at dawn, just as it was starting to get light out. Her head collapsed on the pillow after realizing it was just a dream. To calm herself down, Taelerys sang a quiet tune that Shireen had taught her the day before. The soft voice of her song remained stuck in her head until she fell asleep in darkness once more.

_'It's always summer, under the sea_

_I know, I know, oh, oh, oh_

_The birds have scales, and the fish take wing_

_I know, I know, oh, oh, oh_

_The rain is dry, and the snow falls up_

_I know, I know, oh, oh, oh'_

* * *

**Super sorry for the long update, was finishing up my CNA course at college and FINALLY had spare time to finish this chapter. I was waiting so long for Taelerys to talk with Melisandre and boy did they have a lot to say to each other. The next chapter gets more interesting, I promise. Please leave a review or a like and hopefully I'll be more frequent in my updates. That Season 7 trailer though! I'M SO EXCITED! :D**


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